Obituary for Roger Harry Wangerin

Roger passed away on January 24, 2021 at the age of 71. Just ask mother Mabel about the day he was born and the first thing always mentioned was the weather. The temperature hit 100 degrees when Roger was born to Adolph “Addie” and Mabel (Eggert) Wangerin in Elmo Township, Otter Tail County, MN. He attended country school in Almora and high school in Henning. At 18, he enlisted in the U.S Army and proudly served two tours in Vietnam as part of the First Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (“Screaming Eagles”).

Roger enjoyed playing pool and he belonged to many billiard leagues. He never let an opportunity pass to ‘run the table’ and he relished every win. For much of his career, Roger was employed as a foreman for Spancrete Midwest in addition to other endeavors prior to retiring.

Roger was an active member of the St. Francis American Legion and Elk River Eagles Club. He was a proud participant in the American Legion Color Guard volunteering for countless duties, including parades and military ceremonies. One of his proudest moments was being a guardian for an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. with a dear friend, a Korean War veteran.

Being of strong faith, Roger could be heard singing in church most Sundays and was a member of Cross of Hope Lutheran Church in Ramsey. He enjoyed being outdoors tending to his yard and spending quality time with his beloved canine companion, Manley. Being a man about town, he often sported a driving hat to visit friends at his favorite local establishments.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Penny; and his father, Addie. He is survived by his mother, Mabel; eight siblings; daughters Wendy (Reggie) and LeAnna (Jared); and step children, Brian (Cassie), Jodi (Ryan), Jill, and Benjamin (Courtney). He is loved by his grandchildren Samuel, Annabelle, Cadence, Emma Jean, Riley, Jace, Dezmond, Thomas, and Samuel; many nieces, nephews, and friends. They valued their time with him and would have loved to have more, as would all who knew Roger well. He will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by his family, friends and throughout the community.

Roger will be interred at a later date at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls, MN with military honors. A celebration of his life will be held this coming summer.