Roger Strand, 84, Ellendale
Roger Strand, age 84, of Ellendale, passed away June 4, 2022.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church at Litomysl. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to the funeral at the church starting at 10 a.m. For those attending the funeral, the family requests you wear green in honor of Roger’s favorite color.
Roger Orland Strand was born in Austin to O’Claire and Clara (Braaten) on Aug. 12, 1937. Roger and his siblings were raised in Dodge County, where he attended school and worked on the family farm.
He met the love of his life, Carol Wagner, and they married at St. Columbanus Church in Blooming Prairie on Feb. 22, 1959. They lived on a farm with beef and dairy cows.
In 1960, they welcomed their first son. From then on, they grew their family in Hope. In 1974, they moved to a farm outside of Ellendale, where they raised their family of eight. Roger worked at OMC in Owatonna. After OMC moved out of state, Roger worked at General Equipment in Owatonna until his retirement.
Roger was a family man and worked hard to provide for his family. Roger enjoyed polka music and was a fan of the Minnesota Twins. He enjoyed dirt track racing in Lansing with his family and taking many road trips. He could always be found working on an Allis Chalmers tractor or a lawn mower. He took pride in having a well-maintained lawn. The family maintained Bath Township Catholic Cemetery for over 40 years. He was well known for his memorable one-liners. His favorite color was green and he loved Fords and clocks.
Left behind to cherish his memory is his wife of 63 years, Carol, and his beloved children: Kevin (Tami) Strand of Albert Lea; Darcy (Curt) Pape of Garden City, Minn.; Brian (Teresa) Strand of Eagle Lake; Stacy (Scott) Njos of Austin; Nicole (Mike) Harris of San Tan Valley, Ariz.; Carolee (Baron) Strand of Ellendale; Ryan (Jen) Strand of Clarks Grove; Rachel (Mike) Grunklee of Blooming Prairie; grandchildren: Jenny, Ashley, Josh, Laura, Lesa, Caulina, Meghan, Brittany, Madison, Kyle, Jordan, Parker, Cory, Connor, Samantha, Cole, Sarah, Brianna, Abigail, Brendon, Brooklyn and Mackenzie; 18 great-grandchildren, with two on the way; many nieces and nephews; brother Dale (Lavonne) Strand; sisters-in-law Ellen Wagner and Rosemary (Rich) Dailey; and brother-in-law Al Wagner.
Roger was preceded in death by his parents, O’Claire and Clara Strand; sisters Dallas Hanson and Harriet Strand; father in-law William and mother in-law Wanda Wagner; brothers-in-law, David Hanson and Will Wagner, sister in-law Linda Wagner and grandson Connor Harris.
For more information or to leave an online condolence message go to www.megercares.com.