Rodger Dean Marshall

MARSHALL, GREENE, BATEMAN, FORD

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 10/18/2022 at 12:00:23

Rodger Dean Marshall Obituary
May 16, 1932 – September 17, 2022

Rodger Dean Marshall was the youngest child of Clifford and Ruth Greene Marshall and the fourth generation of the Greene/Marshall family to live on Prospect Hill Farm in LaPrairie Township near Speer, Illinois. He was born on May 16, 1932, and died peacefully in Iowa City, Iowa on September 17, 2022, at the age of 90. He married the love of his life, Janet Bateman, on February 7, 1960, and they had 62 happy years together. They were the proud parents of four children: Lynette Marshall (Jeffery Ford) of Iowa City, Toby Marshall (Kimberly) of Lafayette, IL, Douglas Marshall (Elaine) of Albuquerque, NM, and Kelly Marshall of Chase, MI. They also had a daughter, Mary Ruth, who died shortly after her birth. They enjoyed their seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Rodger attended the Greene, Turnbull, and LaPrairie rural schoolhouses, and graduated from Princeville High School where he played the trombone and football, graduating in 1950. He enjoyed the trombone for the remainder of his life, including in his own dance band, the Shrine Marching Band, and in various senior bands in the Peoria area.

Rodger served in the Army as a high-speed radio operator from 1953-55 with postings in Germany and France during the Korean Conflict. After his military radio experience, he enjoyed being a ham radio operator for many years.

Rodger joined his father on the family farm and engaged actively in his community. He was a lifetime member of LaPrairie United Presbyterian Church and active in the Princeville Lodge #360, the Mohammed Shrine Temple in Peoria, and the Scottish Rite, all of which he belonged to for 66 years. He was active in the Marshall County Farm Bureau, the Bureau & Marshall-Putnam Co-op, and the Marshall County Historical Society. In retirement he and Janet enjoyed bicycling trips with friends, activities at Pearce Community Center in Chillicothe, volunteering for the American Red Cross and the Shriners Children’s Hospital and travelling widely.

Throughout their marriage, Rodger and Janet enjoyed hosting friends from around the world in their home through the International 4-H Exchange Program (IFYE). A special host daughter, Katharina Steinrücke, of Ennepetal, Germany, was like a third daughter to them. They visited all 50 states together and many foreign countries. They were Illini and Hawkeye fans, cherishing their children’s and grandchildren’s alma maters as their own.

Rodger and Janet moved from LaPrairie to Iowa City in 2019 to be closer to family. Rodger’s favorite activities included driving through the country to survey the crops and ice cream stops along the way.

Rodger was preceded in death by his parents, brother Howard, and sister Martha.

The funeral will be held at the LaPrairie United Presbyterian Church, 701CR400E, Sparland, IL on Saturday, September 24 at 1 pm. The family will greet friends at a visitation from 11-1 and burial is at the Blue Ridge Methodist Cemetery at Edelstein. A meal for all will follow after the burial.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Shriners Children’s Hospital, 2211 North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60707 or on-line at: donate.lovetotherescue.org.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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