Roger Lavern Hollrah

 

Roger LaVern Hollrah

 

Roger was born in Charter Oak Iowa on January 19, 1932 to Homer E and Hilda M (Rademacker) Hollrah.  He passed away at home after a prolonged and valiant battle with malignant melanoma on December 14, 2023.

 

In 1955, he married Anita Myers, and 2 children were born (Randy L and Kristi M). Later, he was remarried to Barbara Jean Gold on January 2, 1964. That marriage added Michael, Deborah and Rhonda to the family.

 

In May of 1948, he, his older brother and a couple of friends decided to leave Iowa to follow the wheat harvest. After traveling and working thru Kansas and Colorado, they ended up in Northwest Nebraska.  Early in his time in Nebraska, he worked at several ranching / odd jobs for a time, making some lifelong friends.  Survival during the 1949 blizzard was a challenge, as it was for all living creatures during that time.

 

Later on, he and his older brother enlisted in the Air Force, eventually ending up in Guam. He also worked in the San Diego shipyards as a welder, then welding on Minuteman missile bases in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. Following that, he trained as a superintendent in Gary Indiana at a steel mill. After he decided that Gary was not an acceptable place to raise a family, he took a job welding at a new power plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After that, he and family returned to Nebraska, then moved to Sterling, Colorado. He and Barbara then returned to Chadron Nebraska after several years in Colorado.

 

Preceding him in death were his parents Homer and Hilda; siblings Shirley, Norman, Kenneth and Marlene. Also preceding him in death were children Kristi and Michael.  He is survived by children Randy, Deborah, Rhonda, grandchildren, great grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephew and lifelong as well as newer friends.