Roger J. Engleson

On December 8, 2025 Roger Jerome Engleson lost a courageous battle with Cancer.

There will be a celebration of life in late spring.

He was born on July 10, 1951 in Appleton, MN to Leland and Norma (Norby) Engleson and grew up in Minneapolis. His dad passed away when he was 16 years of age.

Roger started working at Bachmanns when he was 15. This started his great passion for gardening. This desire was put on hold when the draft came and he joined the Marines, which he was proud of. Just before he left for Basic training he met Renetta Strand. Roger went to California and Renetta to Chicago staying in touch with only letters and phone calls. They did not see each other for two years until Roger was discharged from the Marines. When Renetta came home for a visit, Roger proposed to her and they have been married for 51 years. Roger and Renetta had two daughters, Shannon (Corey) Heller and Carly Goettlicher (fiancé Daniel Schisel); grandchildren, Devin Heller (fiancé Taylor), Zachary Heller, Kaitlyn Heller, Alexis(Bryce) Woitas and Ashton Goettlicher (fiancé MacKenzie) and great-grandchildren, Kasen, Boden and Braxten.

Roger gave up city life for farm life when moved to Renetta’s family farm near Rapidan, MN. He not only started a new life as a farmer, which he loved, he also started employment at Bobs Garden Center and later Green Thumb Garden Center. Following the closure of Green Thumb he decided to retire. Retirement lasted for a year before he went to work at Edenvale. He enjoyed working for Tom and Robin a friendship that continued until his death.

When Edenvale had a new owner he continued to work until he was unable due to his cancer. He regretted that he never got to see his friend Kim’s gardens. Roger found great pride in helping customers, planning gardens and his love of Hostas. He was happy when he could add them in garden plans and was proud when was called the “Hosta King’ in an article honoring him in the Mankato Free Press.

He is survived by his brother Benard (Beth) Fennell of Florida, cousin Mitch Houdek of Arizona, and their families. He also leaves several good friends that added to his life which he was thankful for. Ellie his dog and moose his cat were always his pride and joy.

He wanted Joe and Jake Koberoski know he could not thank them enough for always coming to the rescue when something broke or needed trimming.

Memories of Roger from his family

An amazing man, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend to so many. The Hosta King, most knowledgeable florist who could talk flowers for hours, a remarkable man with a strong caring heart and “all around” great person. Most of all I was lucky to call him my father! The man who was always available when I needed help as a single parent-no matter how girly I was being, he came right over to help. Memories I have I will cherish forever. The guitar playing, singing “Puff the Magic Dragon” (my all time favorite memory!) helping me plant flowers and helping me keep them alive cause I was not a green thumb, taking my kids on rides at Walt Disney World, cheering me on at my 4-H shows, helping me chase my horses for hours so I could ride-he never gave up. The late night checking cattle and sheep as I followed behind. Helping me bottle feed the baby sheep and calves. Baling hay and riding on the bales as he stacked them. Watching Alexis as I attended school. Watching westerns and playing slots on the computer for hours with Ashton. Spending time with Kasen creating 20 hundred thousand memories, as he expresses! Welcoming his newest great-grandsons Boden and Braxten. Nothing kept him from seeing them in the hospital. There was never enough time in a day but he always made time. A part of my heart was taken but never forgotten. I love you Dad….Love you forever....

Your daughter, Carly

I will forever cherish the memories that I made with my grandpa. Countless early morning chores, bottle feeding calves & every one of them you called “little guy”, bringing the cows in from the fields, grinding feed, tractor/skid loader rides, bailing hay, and the nightly delicious chocolate malts that only he could make. I will forever miss you and your great grandsons will forever hear how wonderful and strong their great grandpa was. I love & miss you so so much Grandpa — till I see you again.

Love your grand-daughter Alexis.

Anyone who had known my grandpa kneew a man who never failed to make you smile. A man that was hard working and could fix anything. I remember the time he spent with the cattle and memories we made with him. We had endless talks about my future and when I told him about going into the Air Force he smiled and said he always felt I would go in that direction. He was my hero who always stood by my side. I remember going down to the woods for campfires after a long day of baling hay. Helping him water plants at Green Thumb and going to McDonalds for lunch. Hostess cupcakes in the freezer we would share, but my all time favorite memory is rushing home from school to go over to Grandma and Grandpa's house to watch westerns and play slots on the computer for hours with Grandpa. This is not goodbye grandpa, but see you later. The memories and the stories he shared with me will never be forgotten. I miss and love you forever grandpa.

Love your grandson, Ashton

A few of my memories with Roger Engleson: I would stop by Green Thumb to visit Roger and he would be holding a garden hose talking with the plants as he watered them. Roger would be puffing on a white tipped Swisher Sweet Cigar as he waited on many customers, answering questions, and treating all the plants like his family. When Roger was asked to help design landscape for my yard, Roger was excited to grab any piece of paper and design a master piece that only Picasso would be proud of. I helped Roger with cleaning the wood out of the old grain bins that had been stored for years. I was told this wood was used years ago to heat the water tanks for the animals in the winter. They had decided to take down these bins as they were no longer needed on the farm. When hulling the wood out we would find an old artifacts and Roger would say, Harley used that for fixing something, or those bent nails laying around that could be straightening to reuse them. In the fall Roger had many chores he needed help with and I was lucky enough to help with them on occasion. One of those chores would be waiting for Renetta to fill the wagon with picked corn so we could unload it on to the elevator and into the corn crib for the cattle. We would later grind the corn and hull it into the cattle yard, filling the cattle feeder. Another time after the corn was picked, we gathered many fence posts and electric wire and placed it around the field so the cattle could roam eating the grain left behind. When the storms would come and the power was out Roger was the first one outside with his big yellow rain coat, farm boots, holding a half-dim flashlight, and gathering stuff needed to get a generator pumping the water out of the basement that was flooded. When I was sent to get a piece of equipment and it would not start and I asked where the battery charger was, and Roger said welcome to farm life. Roger had a heart of gold and is truly going to be missed by family and friends.

Till I see you again, Dan Schisel.

To us, he was not only a father and grandpa, but one of our greatest supporters. He cheered us on in everything we did, whether it was school events, sports, or big milestones in our lives. He loved his pets, his family, his Pepsi (which he proudly called “the nectar of the gods”), breakfast, his homemade favorite raisin cookies, a good plate of ham, and settling into his recliner with a warm blanket and the heater turned up. He had a true love for plants, especially his hostas, and no one could talk about them quite the way he could. Some of our fondest memories include him teaching us about farm life, learning to drive the tractor, helping with chores, driving him to appointments and him insisting on treating us to lunch afterward, and spending time with him at the greenhouse, a place he cherished deeply. These simple moments have become memories we will hold close forever. We will always be grateful for every lesson, every laugh, every visit, and every moment we were blessed to share with him. Miss you beyond words can say, but we know you are in our hearts forever and will be with us everyday.

Love from all of us,

Corey, Shannon, Devin (Taylor), Zachary, Kaitlyn(Zack).