Husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather Roger Theodore Reetz was called to his heavenly home on March 11, 2026 in Seward.
Born during a snowstorm on Dec. 13, 1939, at the family home in Thayer, Roger was the fourth of six children born to George and Irene (Vorderstrasse) Reetz. His mother lovingly described his newborn hair as feeling “like a kitten’s fur.” Roger was baptized Dec. 28, 1939, and confirmed in his faith on April 11, 1955, at Zion Lutheran Church in Thayer.
He grew up on the family farm and attended Zion Lutheran Elementary School, graduating from Thayer High School in 1958. On Feb. 27, 1960, Roger enlisted in the Nebraska Army National Guard. During the Berlin Crisis of 1962, his unit was activated and prepared to be deployed to Germany –where his brother, Thomas, was stationed – however they remained stateside at Camp Carson, Colorado. During his service, Roger was recognized for his marksmanship with the M-1 rifle and volunteered for a chemical defense experiment at Fort Eustis, Virginia.
He was honorably discharged Feb. 1, 1966. He married Bernadette (Bernie) Walsh on Oct. 30, 1965, in Belleville, Kansas, an elopement full of love, laughter and some adventurous backroads driving, with his parents along for the ride.
Roger’s working life included roles as a loader/driver for Sack Construction in York, a York firefighter and a construction worker for Building Innovators. He later worked at the Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) Steel Mill in several demanding roles, including in the blast furnace and as a boilerman, until health issues forced his retirement in 1985.
A man of many talents, Roger designed the home his family built with help from friends and relatives. They lived there for 35 years before moving to Holcomb, Kansas, to be closer to their beloved granddaughters. Roger had a deep love for the outdoors and for adventure. He found joy in the Colorado mountains – skiing, sledding, biking, and cutting down fresh Christmas trees with his family. He loved water skiing on Lake Pueblo, whitewater rafting the Arkansas River, and camping.
Travel brought Roger great joy. He especially treasured trips west with his brothers to family reunions in Oregon, sampling beer in Germany and cruising the Caribbean, Panama Canal and Alaska.
Roger is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Bernadette; his children, Kenny Reetz and Katy (Paul) Pauley; granddaughters, Bethany (Trevor) Colson, Brianna (Tristen) Barton, and Bailey Pauley; great-grandsons, Jett and Wells Colson, and Brooks and Beau Barton; his youngest brother, Mark Reetz, sister-in-law, Florence (Rex) Charlton; brother-in-law, Ivan (Sharon) Walsh; sister-in-law, Janet Walsh, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Irene; and his siblings Paul and Gayle Reetz, David and Deanna Reetz, Tom and Monika Reetz and Barbara and Al Shearer; and brother-in-law, Glen Walsh.
The funeral service will be Saturday, April 11, at 11 a.m. at Lauber Funeral Home in Milford. Roger’s ashes will be laid to rest at Zion Cemetery in Thayer at 2 p.m. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Nebraska National Guard Museum or Kansas Honor Flight.
Arrangements by Lauber Funeral and Cremation Services, Milford.
