Elizabeth Ogren Rothra

”Libby” was born in Jamestown, N.Y., and gra-duated from Jamestown High School. She also attended West Virginia University. Libby was a housewife, author, writer and worked much of her life in publicity. She was the instigator of a full and varied life, and known for her unguarded enthusiasm for the things that interested her. She had her own radio show for a Jamestown department store in the 1940s. She lived in Greenwich Village in the 1950s, where she became involved with the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. While in New York, she worked for Radio Free Europe during the Hungarian Revolution, then later for The Fred Waring Show in Shawnee on Delaware. She was a summer publicity director for Chautauqua Institution in the late 1960s.

Libby had been an active member and volunteer for such organizations as the Jamestown Audubon So-ciety, as well as the Jamestown Presbyterian Church and the Miami Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Libby and Dann met on Chautauqua Lake, in New York state. After marrying in 1962, they moved to Miami, Fla., with Dann’s work, where she became fascinated with tropical natural history, tree snails and the early Florida naturalists. This inspired her to write two books: ”On Preserving Tropical Florida: Biography and Anthology of John C. Gifford,” and ”Florida’s Pioneer Naturalist: Life of Charles Torrey Simpson.”

After settling in Coconut Grove, Fla., Libby worked briefly for Dr. John C. Lilly in dolphin research. Final-ly, retiring in Rainbow Springs, Fla., Libby enjoyed working with watercolor paints, birding and wildflowers.

Elizabeth is survived by her husband, Dann Rothra, of Rainbow Springs, Fla.; daughter and son-in-law, Kate and Frank Fleming of Charleston, S.C.; and a brother, David Ogren of Phoenix, Ariz.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Audubon Society of Jamestown, N.Y.