Roger D. Bracken

Roger D. Bracken a long time Devils Lake businessman, passed away on Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at Altru Hospital, Grand Forks, ND surrounded by his family. He was 79.

Funeral Services for Roger will be held on Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at River of Life, Assembly of God Church, Devils Lake with Reverend Kevin Anderson officiating. Burial will be in the Devils Lake Cemetery with Military Honors accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team-Army.

Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Monday, June 4th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a time of prayer and remembrance at 7:00 p.m. Visitation on Tuesday will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral service.

Roger Dale was born on March 22, 1939, son of Lewie and Christine (Rodlund) Bracken, on a farm at Leeds, ND. He was baptized at Lebenon Lutheran Church and was confirmed at North Prairie Lutheran Church.  Roger graduated from Leeds High School with the class of 1957. He was also voted the Homecoming King that year.  Roger continued his education at Minot Business College and received certification in Senior Accounting.  He also worked at the Great Plains in Harvey.

Roger entered the United States Army in 1961 and proudly served his country stateside and received an honorable discharge in 1963.

In 1967, Roger was united in marriage to Marcia Eggl at Cando, ND. They were the proud parents of 3 children, Pamela, Randy and Rhonda. 

Roger had many talents and those talents were used in several occupations. He was a carpenter, a mechanic and very good welder. He worked construction as a Heavy Equipment Operator in North Dakota and Seattle, Washington for several years.  He and his brother Curtis Bracken, operated Bracken Honey Bee Corp for about 20 years.  They produced honey in North Dakota and wintered their bees in the Bakersfield, California area almond orchards where they did pollination work with the bee hives.   They also stored and bottled honey for the USDA Food Program.  Roger and his son Randy established Dakota Tree Service Inc. in 1996 and contracted with various Electric Utility Companies to do line clearance tree maintenance.  Roger enjoyed working outdoors and working with his son.  His talent also included designing the lake cabin where they spent many happy days hanging out at the lake.

Time away from the business included going to auction sales, collecting old tractors, custom hot rod cars, looking for antiques, annual visits to the Hawk Museum and just “tinkering” around the house and yard and attending all the “Lutefisk Dinners” in the area.

Roger will always be remembered as an entrepreneur, man of patience, integrity and a multi-tasker. A good story teller about his younger years, visiting with old friends and new friends he met along the way and sitting down to a good Western. He also enjoyed membership in the American Legion, Devils Lake Elks and Eagles Lodges. 

First and foremost, Roger was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. A man of great faith, who loved going to church, listening to the music and hearing the words of God’s promises. He was a great friend to many and hearing the grandkids adventures brought him great joy and treasured every moment spent with his family and being together at extended family gatherings.  Roger will be dearly missed. 

Roger’s loving family include his wife Marcia; children Pamela (Philip) Brenner, St. Paul, MN, Randy (Mandy) Bracken, Devils Lake and Rhonda (Brent) Engelhart also Devils Lake; ten grandchildren Mark, Jillian, Emily and Maria Brenner, Matt, Jeremy, Lucas, Ethan and Grace Bracken, Ashley DeWitt; two great grandchildren Jackson Dean and Nicolai DeWitt; brothers Gordon Bracken, Grafton, ND and Curtis (Beverly) Bracken, Devils Lake; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law LeRoy Lunde, Doug (Kay Roppel) Eggl,  Gloria Bracken, Harriet Bracken, Joanne and Ray Mickelson, Carol and Harvey Wood, Lisa Sivertson, Barbara and Larry Schmaltz; special family friends Bob and Arlene Adahl and Keith Kennedy and many nieces and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; grandson Jonathan Bracken; brothers Orris, Orlando and Lyle Bracken; sisters Delores Lunde, Irene Lysne and Helen Bracken and in-laws George and Celestine Eggl.

Casket Bearers for Roger will be his grandsons Matt, Jeremy, Lucas and Ethan Bracken and Mark Brenner. Honorary Bearers will be Roger’s granddaughters Jillian, Emily and Maria Brenner, Grace Bracken and Ashley DeWitt. Music will be provided by Roger’s nieces Sherry Bracken, Barbi Jo Bracken Caldwell and Jodi Bracken Caldwell.