Donald Rogenes

Donald O. Rogenes, age 87, of Willmar, died Sunday morning, August 19, at his home in Willmar.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 23, at Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar. Interment will be at Bethany Long Lake Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Rice Hospice are preferred.

Donald Oscar Rogenes was born July 7, 1931, in Grand Forks, North Dakota to Oscar and Grace (Broderson) Rogenes. He grew up on a farm in rural Buxton, North Dakota, attended country grade school and graduated from Climax High School in Climax, Minnesota in 1949. Don moved to southern California in 1950 to further his education. He joined the California National Guard in 1950 and served his country for seven years. Don graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with an Electronic Engineering Degree. He was employed by TRW in Redondo Beach, California and was one of the many engineers to work on the Apollo Project which sent man to the moon. He was employed by Lutheran Brotherhood for a few years after which he opened a sign shop in Valencia, California.

Don married Edith Harriet Isdahl on July 27, 1957 at Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar. They lived in southern California for 28 years, moved thirteen times, and were active members of eight ELCA mission congregations. Don served as a member of the ELCA South Pacific Synod Church Council. They moved from Valencia, California to SaddleBrooke, Arizona, a retirement community north of Tucson in 1995. Willmar became their home in 2011. He was an active member of Vinje Lutheran Church and served as a choir member and with altar care, the information desk, and community meals. He was also a member of Rotary International.

Don enjoyed golf, photography, music and traveling. He sang in church choirs all of his life and several community chorus groups. He was part of a church choir tour that traveled to Germany, Austria and Switzerland and sang in the annual Austria Music Festival. They traveled across the United States and Alaska in their motor home, and traveled to Norway, Denmark, Hawaii. They also enjoyed several Caribbean cruises.

He is survived by his wife, Harriet of Willmar and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Kathryn Rogenes.

Cemetery Details