Roger Dale Castleberg Sr.

Roger Dale Castleberg Sr. of Spooner, WI, went to be with Jesus from his home Friday, August 18, 2023.

He was born to Ruth and Lutzie Castleberg on June 29, 1932, in Durand, Wisconsin. He attended Grade School in Cochrane, Burnside and the one-room schoolhouse in Maxville Prairie, WI, from 1938-1946.

He graduated from Durand High School in 1950.

From 1950 to 1951, he attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

In 1951, Roger and his youngest brother Curtis drove all the way to Pomona, California, where their dad was already working. Roger worked at a drug store and spent one year at M. San Antonio Jr College. Later, he enlisted in the US Army Medical Corps. After training, he was stationed with the 388th Evac Hospital in Japan. One of his army buddies, Ron Walker, introduced him to his sister, Darlene. On June 14, 1956, while Roger was enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, they were married in Ono, WI. They had their first child Roger Jr. a year later.

Upon receiving his B.S. Pharmacy degree in 1958, Roger and Darlene moved to Pomona, California, where he had a job lined up with the pharmacy he had worked at in the early '50s. During the '60s and '70s, they added three more children to the family Cheryl, Richard and Lori.

In 1978, they moved back to Wisconsin to take over the family farm and egg business while working on getting his Wisconsin pharmacy license. Then he worked in various pharmacies, including the Erickson store in Durand.

Darlene and Roger were both active members of the Evangelical Free Church in Plum City, Wisconsin, for many years. They also were active members of the Gideon Society. Due to ill health, they moved to Spooner, WI, to live with their eldest son Roger Jr. and family in 2017 and were members of Shell Lake Full Gospel Church.

Roger was a go-getter; he didn't let any grass grow under his feet. He worked hard to provide for his family but also enjoyed leisure time. He enjoyed camping, boating and water skiing, Boy Scouts, Indian Guides, Optimist Club, hunting, golfing and traveling. He made sure the family was in church every Sunday, taught Sunday school and taped Sunday services for folks who couldn't make it to church. He was also a kidder, even close to the end, finding some kind of humorous remark to lighten the load.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bernard, his sister, Cleo Anderson, his son Richard, twins who were stillborn, his grandson Dustin and his beloved wife of 66 years, Darlene.

Survivors include his daughter Cheryl Lund of Red Wing, MN, daughter Lori Castleberg of Red Wing, MN, son Roger Jr. Castleberg and Jemima of Spooner, WI, his brother Robert of Madison, WI, his brother Curtis and Kathy of Eau Claire, WI, six grandchildren A.J., Elizabeth, Kevin, Josiah, Mahalia, Elianna and six great-grandchildren, Dominic, Sebastian, Natalie, Isabel, Jaelyn and Bjorn, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial Service will be at 11:AM (visitation from 10 to 11) Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the Plum City Evangelical Free Church at 501 First Street in Plum City, Wisconsin. There will be a luncheon immediately after the service, followed by a short graveside service at Cascade Cemetery near the intersection of KK and I, one mile east of Hwy 25, Nelson, Buffalo County, WI.