Roger Stratmoen, of Dawson, died Wednesday, January 16, 2013, at the Johnson Memorial Hospital in Dawson at the age of 80.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 19, at 11:00 AM at Grace Lutheran Church in Dawson with Pastor Kendall Stelter officiating. Interment will be in Grace Lutheran Cemetery.
Visitation will be held on Friday from 5-8:00 PM at the Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson and at the church for one hour before services on Saturday.
Roger Wayne Stratmoen was born on September 3, 1932 in Dawson, MN the son of Edwin and Esther (Larson) Stratmoen. He spent his life in the Dawson area growing up on the Stratmoen farm which his Norweigen ancestors established in 1896 in Lac Qui Parle County. Roger was baptized and confirmed at Riverside Lutheran Church and was one of six children. After graduation from Dawson High in 1950, Roger began his long and successful career as a family farmer joining his father who helped him purchase his first farm. On December 10, 1951, he was united in marriage with Beverly Schuette at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo. They had seven children: David, Cindy, DuWayne, Keith, Philip, Timmy, and Jon. He was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church where he served on various boards. These last years, Roger has enjoyed worshiping at the Johnson Memorial Care Center with Bev. Faith and farming were the lifetime joys for Roger as he built the Stratmoen Farms and raised his family. Roger loved the land and all the seasons of work to grow and produce his crops. He read many farm journals so he could keep pace with all the new innovations in farming. He enjoyed assisting his sons as they too chose farming as a profession and in these later years he proudly and joyfully assisted grandson Brett who had learned at his side beginning at a very early age. Roger and Bev loved to travel and went on many trips to Norway, Arizona, Alaska, Branson, California, and Tennessee.
He is survived by his wife, Bev; children: David (Sally) Stratmoen of Glenwood, Cindy (Red) Courneya of Minnetonka, DuWayne (Valerie) Stratmoen of Dawson, Keith (Janet) Stratmoen of Boyd, Philip (Pam) of Balsam Lake, WI, Timmy Stratmoen of Mankato, and Jon (Stacy) Stratmoen of Dawson; a brother, Noel (Lois) Stratmoen of Northfield; a sister, Caryl Dee (Jim) Holt of Knoxville, TN; eighteen grandchildren; seventeen great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death were his parents and three sisters: Angie Oman, Lee Dahl, and Mae Matthews-Dahl.