Roger Lee Stevens was born January 28, 1953 in Viborg, SD to parents Clarence and Margaret (VerWey) Stevens.  Roger's life journey ended on March 28, 2019 at the age of 66, at Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by his family after a courageous four-month battle with leukemia.

Roger was born with stomach problems that required him to have one of the first surgeries of its kind on his pancreas in the Sioux Falls hospital. Roger grew up on the family farm northwest of Beresford, where he attended Brooklyn School thru eighth grade and graduated from Beresford High School in 1972.  Roger was baptized and confirmed in Lutheran faith and was a member of Scandia Lutheran Church in Centerville.

Roger married his high school sweetheart Ruth Solem Stevens in Canton, SD on December 22, 1972.  The couple spent their married life on the farm in the Centerville-Beresford area where they raised their two children, Bryan and Brenda.

Roger farmed his entire life; beginning at a very young age helping his Dad with milking cows and other chores. Over the years he spent a lot of time shelling corn with his uncles, helping family members bale thousands of square bales each summer, hauling square bales to Rock Valley Hay Auction, custom baling hay and trucking.  Roger drove school bus for Centerville School for eighteen years.  He also drove fuel delivery truck for Coop Oil in Centerville and had been driving delivery truck for Star Energy in Centerville prior to his illness.

Roger will be remembered for always being willing to help others especially his family. Roger enjoyed hunting, snowmobiling or riding his ATV, spending time in the Black Hills, and enjoying time with family, especially his children and grandchildren.  He was also a fan of old TV shows and probably had seen every episode of Gunsmoke and Andy Griffith multiple times.

Roger will be deeply missed, and his memory treasured by his wife of 46 years, Ruth; son Bryan, Canton; daughter Brenda (Jason) Beresford; granddaughters, Taylor and Reagan Stevens; Kayla, Leah, and Mariah Jensen.  He is also survived by daughter-in-law Joanne Stevens, his sisters Sharyl Ochsner, Janyce (Gary) Johnson, Jayne (Steve) Ratzlaff, brother-in-law Norm (Bonnie) Solem, aunt Alice Richards, uncles Arnold Stevens and Don VerWey, numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, close friend Don (Judy) Hookie and other extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, mother and father in-law Art and Laverna Solem, grandparents William and Nellie Stevens, Jess and Mathilda VerWey, brother-in law Dennis Ochsner, and nephew Joshua Ratzlaff.

Visitation for Roger will be 5-7PM Sunday, March 31, 2019 in Centerville, SD at Scandia Lutheran Church's fellowship hall with a prayer service at 7PM. Funeral services will be 10:30AM Monday, April 1st at Scandia Lutheran Church.