Roger Engelstad

Roger Warren Engelstad, a life-long resident of Deerfield / Cambridge, passed away on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the age of 89. The cause of death was acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which he courageously fought for over two years.

Roger was born on July 5, 1923, the first son of Bendie and Julia (Spilde) Engelstad. He grew up on the Engelstad family farm, which his grandparents (Frantz and Johanne Engelstad) homesteaded in 1914. While attending Deerfield High School, Roger played running back on one of the top-ranked football teams in the state during the late 30s and early 40s. Upon graduation, he was offered a scholarship to play football in Colorado, but chose to stay and help with the farming operations.

On May 7, 1950, Roger married Doris (nee Mickelson), his former high-school classmate. They built a home in Deerfield and were both employed by the Deerfield Creamery until its closure in 1970; Roger then took a position with the Carnation Company. While living in town, he served as a volunteer with the Deerfield Fire Department for 15 years. In 1972, they moved back to the family farm and worked it together for decades, raising primarily corn and soybeans.

Wisconsin sports were ingrained with Roger, particularly the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Wisconsin Badgers. In his early years, he also enjoyed fishing, boating, and water skiing in Cambridge. At Lake Ripley Country Club, he played golf regularly until he was diagnosed with ALL. Over the years, Roger was an active member of St. Paul's Liberty Lutheran Church, serving on the Church Council and the Building & Grounds Committee.

Roger is survived by his special companion and friend, Arlene; daughter, Roxann; son-in-law, Edward Lovell; sister-in-law, Shirley Engelstad; brother-in-law, Wells Smith; grandchildren, Elise and Ethan Lovell; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents, wife Doris, sister Alice, and brother Glenn.

Funeral services will be on Friday, June 7, 2013, at 11 AM at St. Paul's Liberty Lutheran Church, 3494 Oak Park Road, Deerfield with Rev. Dick Blomker officiating. A visitation will be held Thursday evening from 4 PM until 7 PM at Cress Funeral Home, Deerfield and on Friday at church one hour prior to service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cemetery Association of the Church, in Roger's memory.

The family would like to express their appreciation to the staff at the Dean Hematology & Oncology Clinic, Madison, Rainbow Hospice, Jefferson, and Country Comforts, Cambridge. A special thanks to Dr. Amit Sanyal of Dean Clinic and Dr. David Mantik of Turville Bay, for their excellent medical care and constant concern, and Roger's final caregiver and nurse, Mim Jacobson. The family is extremely grateful to Pastors Dan Anderson and Dick Blomker; their many visits and continued support has been a valuable source of strength and comfort.

"He was bound to the land from the day of his birth,
His roots anchored deep in the fertile earth,
Nurtured, sustained, by the soil he knew,
His life like his furrows ran straight and true.

With faith, each spring, he planted the seeds,
In hope to reap his family's needs,
With patience, he waited for the harvest from loam,
To gather the fruits of his labor home.

Ever-turning seasons, years sped past,
Till the final harvest came at last,
Then claimed anew by the beloved sod,
He was gathered home to be with God."

(B. W. Weber Poem Adaptation)