Rogers was born in
Oamaru, North Otago, one of seven children. The family later moved to
Banks Peninsula, near
Christchurch. The name of her mother, a midwife, is unknown, however her father was Thomas Rogers. She trained as a nurse at Christchurch Hospital from 1911 to 1913, then completed a midwifery certificate at St. Helens' Hospital. After qualifying, Rogers was a district nurse with the
Nurse Maude organisation in Christchurch. While living in Christchurch, she was a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, and a leader of the church's Young Women's Bible Class. She volunteered to go to
Vanuatu as a nursing missionary, to assist with the establishment of a hospital there, however a natural disaster destroyed the area she was to go to. ==First World War==