Roger R. Zander

Roger Robert Zander, 77, of La Crescent, MN passed away at Benedictine Manor on Saturday, April 16, 2016.
He was born on August 3, 1938 in West Bloomfield, WI to Herbert and Florence (Regel) Zander, both deceased. Roger had two brothers, Ronald (deceased) and David and two sisters Donna (Jerome) Reichenberger and Mary (Harold) Ebert. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Ellen; son, Robert Roger Zander; and daughters, Jerrilynn Annette (Todd) Donley and Robyn Rachel Fischer. He is further survived by his grandson, Nolan Calhoun Fischer (the ‘little guy”); as well as many nieces and nephews.
Roger worked for several manufacturing firms in Oshkosh prior to moving to La Crescent with his wife and family in 1982, where he was employed by Mayo Clinic-Franciscan Healthcare until his retirement in 2000. In his teen years, he enjoyed playing baseball and basketball; as an adult, he was an avid bowler. Being a devoted Packer fan, his favorite pastime was betting with his staunch Viking neighbors on the teams’ annual dustups and, also, with his devoted bear fan daughter. His favorite musician was Johnny Cash; he could frequently be found playing air guitar when Johnny was on. Roger did not like traveling, but was content to keep the home fires burning while his wife roamed the world, just shaking his head with his shy smile when another trip was announced. A broken lawn mower or coffee pot were the only things that could cause Roger great distress; he was not happy until they were restored to full function again.
Roger will be greatly missed by his family and friends and all those who knew him. His funeral will be officiated by Pastor Chris Christenson at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 414 Main Street, La Crescent, MN at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2016; visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service. Memorials will be directed toward La Crescent Animal Rescue.