He was born Nov. 15, 1922, on a farm near Ridgeville. In 1942, he married Marjorie Power. He lived on the farm until he graduated from Ridgeville High School in 1941. He attended Indiana Technical College, Fort Wayne, majoring in electrical engineering and graduated from Oregon State. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, and was commissioned as a signal corps officer, serving in Italy. After World War II he helped re-organize the National Guard by starting the National Guard Unit in Huntington, which he commanded for five years. He remained in the Indiana National Guard until 1968, and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He started his own business in Huntington in 1946, operating a radio repair shop. He then branched out into two-way radio and sound systems and began manufacturing electronic controls in 1964. He incorporated Rogers Electro-Matics in 1969. He relocated the business to Syracuse in 1971, and moved it to a new factory on West Chicago Street in 1990. In 1993, he sold the corporation and retired. He was past commander of Huntington Veterans of Foreign Wars; past president of Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce; and served on the board of directors of the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation. He re-started the Wawasee Flotilla in 1973 and served on the flotilla committee for 21 years. Surviving are a daughter, Carolyn (and spouse Tony) Johnson, California; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Eastlund Funeral Home, Syracuse. Calling is from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. ***** Memorials may be made to The Huntington VFW or the WACF. Condolences may be sent via eastlundfuneralhome.com
