Obituary of Roger Edward Herr

Roger Edward Herr, 88, died on May 17, 2023, after struggles with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body dementia as well as other major health issues. He was born in 1935 in Wishek, North Dakota to Edward and Rose Herr.

Roger grew up in Wishek, North Dakota. Some of his favorite childhood memories were of his pony named Dick, his cat Snowball, playing 9-man football in high school, and spending countless hours at the community pool. He loved to share about some of the interesting characters from Wishek. He often recalled his experiences working at Herr Mercantile–the store his father owned. Roger and Bonnie would often travel back to Wishek to visit Rose and to purchase the famous Herr Bologna, whose secret recipe originated from Herr Mercantile.  

Upon graduation, Roger left for the big city of Minneapolis where he attended the University of Minnesota, Wheaton College and Andover Newton Seminary where he studied ministry. He worked for Amtrak on the Empire Builder route as a porter. Roger worked as a youth minister at Judson Memorial Baptist Church where he met and soon married Bonnie. He had a short stint in Milwaukee, then was a part of the clergy at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis alongside his mentor, Howard Conn. Roger left the ministry early in his career to enter the finance world. He worked for Dain Qualman and Quail and later Piper Jaffrey. After he left the ministry he was an occasional visiting minister and even performed marriage ceremonies for some of his favorite people. Later in life, Roger claimed to be an atheist but remained very interested in engaging in discussions of philosophy and religion. He enjoyed reading and analyzing sermons from the clergy at Plymouth and other prominent churches. 

In the early 1970s Roger and family moved from Minneapolis to western Wisconsin to a small hobby farm. He must have visualized the potential of the 1800s farmhouse and surrounding acreage and would completely remodel the entire home with the help of two local carpenters and the labor of the family. At Maple Hill Farm, Roger and family experimented with raising horses, chickens, and beef cattle. He spent countless hours working in the expansive yard, grooming and tending the lawn, and planting beautiful flower gardens. He loved to show off his efforts and often hosted big outdoor summer parties including a memorable pig roast. He dreamed of turning the barn into a livable space but instead focused on tennis and had a tennis court built on the property. In the late 1980s, the farm was sold, and Roger and Bonnie moved to a lovely lakeside home in White Bear Lake. This was the beginning of many future moves including Green Valley, Arizona where Roger and Bonnie were snowbirds. Then on to Frisco and Silverthorn, Colorado where they lived in beautiful mountain homes and occasionally an RV, and finally back to Minneapolis. 

Roger loved to expand his understanding of the world and was a lifelong learner.  He had many moments of humor, generosity, and kindness. His talents were many and his interests widely divergent. He produced three beautiful children with varied talents and interests who in turn created 4 grandchildren with joyful outlooks on life and lots of talent to fulfill their dreams. 

He was preceded in death by parents Edward and Rose Herr, two half-sisters, Phyllis and Ginny, and son David Herr. Roger leaves behind his wife Bonnie, children Lisa and Mark (Lorena) and grandchildren Z, Finn, Olivia and Eliot. In lieu of flowers, please send cards to Bonnie Herr 3733 23rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407. A memorial service will be arranged in the future.