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Submitted: 2/18/19 • Approved: 2/18/19 • Last Updated: 2/21/19 • R817610-G0-S3
2-19-1939 Crane, Missouri
6-18-2015 Crane, Missouri
Son of Lester & Velma (Berry) Williams, first Arlene Bernard, second wife Carol.
Roger Thomas Williams was born February 19, 1939 on a farm north of Crane, Missouri. He was the youngest of three children born to the marriage of Lester Williams and Velma Berry. His parents, his sister, Patricia, and his brother, Edward, preceded him in death.
Roger grew up on that farm and as a young man learned the ways of the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman during his youth and throughout his life. Roger was an excellent student and athlete; earning letters in basketball and track. He worked at any job he could find during the summers to earn spending money. Most of those involved working for local farmers. During the summer leisure hours he, like most teenagers of the time, spent many hours swimming in Crane Creek. Roger graduated near the top of his class of 1957 and the following year attended Southwest Missouri State-now Missouri State University. He graduated from SMS in 1961 with a degree in Biological Science. While a student at SMS, Roger enrolled in the US Army Reserve Officers Training Program and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in December 1961 after college graduation.
Roger met Arlene Bernard of St. Charles, Missouri, while in college and they were married in 1962. They later divorced. They have two daughters, Renae Fletcher and husband, Scott and Tracy Bannister and husband Bob, all survive. Roger has four grandchildren-Jeremy Nelson, Robert Fletcher, Jr., Noah Fletcher, and Gordon Fletcher. Roger married his wife Carol in 2005.
Throughout his lifetime the outdoors was a focal point of his interests. He was an avid hunter and continued hunting with his son-in-law and grandchildren until age and health would not permit. Roger had a love of horses going back to his childhood. He spent countless hours with his horses and several vacations were spent in the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado with his horses. He would always say he would rather have a good horse than any fancy car. He owned horses, even beyond the point he could no longer ride. He referred to his horses as his “pasture art”.
After he retired from the US Army in 1983, Roger was a law enforcement officer in Junction City, Kansas, Geary County and Dickinson County, Kansas. His duties included Detective and Polygraph Examiner. In 1995 Roger became a Defense Investigator for the Kansas State Board of Indigent Defense. He remained in that position until his retirement. During his early retirement Roger spent time on his small Kansas farm, as a horseman, hunter and grandfather. In 2005 he moved back to his roots in southwest Missouri. In January, 2006 Roger came out of retirement and became the Chief of Police for his hometown of Crane, Missouri. He served in that capacity for a short period of time before he once again retired. Roger spent his remaining years of retirement enjoying his horses, hunting, fishing and traveling.
A visitation will be held Monday June 22, 2015 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at Manlove-Stumpff Funeral Chapel Crane, MO. Services will be held June 22, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the Manlove-Stumpff Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in the Oak Grove Cemetery, Crane, MO.
Contributed on 2/18/19 by Stonecountyskillet
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Record #: 817610