Rev. Roger E. Carlson

Miss you, Pastor Carlson, there was no one like you !
Laurie Robinson Cognetta
Confirmation Class 66

pastor carlson he is the best ever. ok when i was 4 years old i had ruptured apendix i had 107 degree temp black goo in side tubes in my nose tubes down my throat. so my uncle howard breuinger and pastor carlson came to old swedish hospital every day for 15 days in a row back in 1964 to pray for me. nobody would do that but only pastor carlson. i have tears in my eyes. i told him alot of times thank you pastor carlson for being there for me. pastor carlson is a great man. words cant tell you how awesome he was. he baptized me confirmed me.and save my life praying for me power of pray. pastor carlson told me jesus was there saving your life timothy.i used to see him alot when he got medicine for ruth she was awesome great lady. i hugged him up at target thanking him for going down to see me for 15days straight and pray for me.i told him i would never ever for get him ever.i no his in heaven he never said any thing bad about nobody ever.when way back at hope we were on the basketball team we use to go there in the summer to shoot baskets pastor carlson would have pop or koolaid for us then he would go in the gym and shoot baskets too he was good.thanks pastor carlson for being there for everbody.he touch everybody. i no he touch me so many times. i love the lord belive in the trinty 3in1. i say my pray for give my sins every day take my vitimans do my work outs thanks to pastor carlson. hes a great man great big heart hes always there for everybody. i love you pastor carlson. i never ever forget you ever. thanks for praying for me when i was sick. love timothy lindman dont be bored praise the lord.

I have wonderful memories of Pastor Carlson. He confirmed me. When he and Ruth came home from Korea with Deborah Hope I was privileged to be at the airport to meet them. He came to my wedding. I had the privilege of working for him at Hope for the summer between my first and second years at the California Lutheran Bible School...but the thing that cracks me up the most was when I was in the ninth grade. We had just gotten a new puppy, and I brought him up to Pastor Carlson to see if he would baptize..AND HE DID! He had a tremendous influence in my life, and I bet that right now he and Ruth are having a wonderful time together with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Blessings to all of you in the family...and know that you were blessed to be a part of his life and work. My love, Carol Westlund Marasco

I, also, had the great privilege of belonging to Hope Lutheran Church and having Roger Carlson as my pastor. What wonderful memories! Thanks to Pastor Carlson we were introduced to the Living Word, being "born again", Biblical prophecy, amazing guest speakers, a wonderful youth program. He was determined to expose his flock to the Truth. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in Sunday School but it was the continual exposure to Truth that impacted my life permanently. Thank you, Pastor, for planting the Promise of Eternity in us. Enjoy!

After reading all of the wonderful messages left by people who I grew up with and dearly love - you all have to remember when Ruth would go to California and Roger's favorite line was "I am ruthless when she is gone!" I always laughed at that - even if i had heard it so many times. No one could ever forget Pastor Roger's humor!
I believe that it is because of Pastor Roger that I answered the call of the Lord. He always preached JESUS!

My family on my Mom's side (Cogswell) grew up down the street from Hope Luthern. The Carlson's were a BIG part of all of our upbringings. The one thing I wanted to share that really sticks out in my life when I think of Rev Carlson... back in 7th grade I had hernia surgery and had to miss football that season. Roger and Ruth came over to our house in Maple Grove to vist! However... he presented me with a massive cheesecake (The best one I have I have ever had, even to this day) and I couldn't believe it. Now keep in mind I am just out of the hospital and need to take it real easy and not allowed to try and walk for a few more days at this point as my stitches needed to take and heal. For whatever reason, he started telling jokes! Joke after joke... I was begging him to stop and it was like permission for him to keep going! I was in some pretty intense pain and worried I was going to have to go back for more surgery. I guess in the end, humor is what I remember most from him. He knew that was the best remedy. As a kid you think "This is Rev Carlson, who actually knows Jesus and Go, like has their phone numbers and he is very serious and there is no room for hi jinks..." Sure enough,,,, he was the biggest prankster of all!! Thank you Roger!

Pastor Carlson was my minister throughout the years as I grew up, until I left the state. I will always remember him as a very humble man of God who truly cared for his congregation and the community at large- and who showed great love for his wife, Ruth, and his family. As for me personally, I will never forget a sermon he gave, saying that we must be born again- those words went with me throughout my life and I have been born again through Jesus. Thank you Pastor Carlson! May Jesus comfort all of the Carlson family and give you HIs peace.

Dear Carlson Clan,

Your patriarch meant so much to so many.
We are but two of those people. Pastor's message was always the same: Jesus Christ. Do you remember how he often chose this Hymn to be sung on a Sunday morning by his congregation?

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain:
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

In sympathy and love to your family,
Lyn & Bill

Pastor Carlson confirmed me, performed my wedding ceremony, and baptized both my children. I lived two doors way from him, Ruth and the kids, so he was also a neighbor! My new sister-in-law was very pregnant at the wedding, and my husband asked what happens if she went in to labor during the ceremony. With a straight face, Roger took his arm and swung it in circles and said, "tell her to just do this with her arm". We said, "why?" and he said "That will be my signal to "wind" up the ceremony". My Dad and Roger talked a lot, and even though Dad didn't go to church, he used to tell my Dad that he was impressed that he knew his bible quite well. Dad talked to him about evolution, and one day Roger came to the house and he had a picture with him. He held it up to my Dad and said, "Now, Phil, tell me, does this look like one of your relatives?" It was a chimpanzee! My Dad cracked up and loved telling that story. Roger had a great sense of humor (and real deadpan!). I know how happy Ruth is to have Roger right by her side again! And all of us kids were lucky to grow up with Roger as our Pastor. End of an era!

Pastor Carlson had an amazing ability to find time to be with me as junior high and senior high school student to nurture me in my walk with God and call to the ministry.

Once I became a senior pastor myself of a mid-size church I looked back with astonishment at how he could find time when I was 14 and in love with baseball to take to me Twins games and talk with about the call and privilege of ministry.

At Hope during his years there I came to personal faith in Jesus, fell in love with God's Word, and received the call to full time ministry.

God's influence in my life through him has been massive.

He was also most tolerant and kind when his son, Tom, Jon Nordstorm and myself would do rascally stuff around the church in our younger years.

Pastor Carlson baptized me, confirmed my wife and I and joined us in marriage. He had a heart for Jesus and a love for people. My dad told me a story once that Pastor Carlson went to visit a friend of the family. He asked why he wasn't in church? Our friend said that there are too many hypocrites in church and Roger replyed,"Well, there's always room for one more". Pastor Carlson and Ruth are truly missed but are with the Savior and lover of their souls.God bless and comfort the Carlson family in their time of loss.

I grew up at Hope Lutheran. Pastor Carlson baptized me, confirmed me, married my husband and me, and baptized both of our children. I remember clearly his words to us at our wedding and we have tried to live by them. He was an amazing person and had a significant impact on my life and who I am as a person. He was faithful to his calling and I can only imagine his delight at being reunited with Ruth! I was privileged to call him my Pastor. My condolences to his family...may you be comforted knowing that he is with His Lord and that he had profound influence on many lives while he was here.

We we always fondly remember Pastor Carlson as we grew up with Hope Lutheran Church. We know that there is comfort that he is with Ruth, Beth and all of his loved ones who have gone to Heaven before him.

Pastor Carlson was a huge influence in my life - correctly teaching the Word of God and leading his flock. One summer I worked as the church sec't and I treasured the prayer times we had together for the church.
I'll always remember two of his sayings: referring to Sloppy Joes as "untidy Joseph's" and " the Sadducees were sad, you see, because they didn't believe in Jesus"
My sympathy to your family.

I was so blessed to have known this man. He was a mentor, my employer, my confirmation pastor and best of all a good friend. Roger - you know that we will miss you but I absolutely, without a doubt, know that you are in the presence of Jesus. A place that you longed for, for years!
To the Carlson family - I grieve along with you in the loss of your beloved father and grandfather. But we have the blessed hope of all being reunited again one day!!

Our sympathies to the Carlson family, Roger was a great influence in our family and will always be remembered as a wonderful person! He was always there for us and was loved by many! Our condolences to your family. Roger is with his Beautiful wife now and we are sure he has spent time with our parnents in heaven too! He will be never be forgotten....

Our love and prayers are with the family at this time of sorrow, but we "sorrow not as others which have no hope." (I Thess.4:13) What a legacy he has left!

Dear Family of Pastor Carlson.
Pastor Carlson performed our wedding ceremony in June of 1963. Later, he baptized both of our children. I will always have fond memories of a kind, gentle man who always had a smile...many times because of his sense of humor. He was always there to support the Rettke family spiritually and as a friend. Knowing that he is now with the love of his life, Ruth, and in his Father's home forever lends to a celebration for Pastor in a long, well-lived life in Christ. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Kathy and Bruce Rettke