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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
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Menke, Roger J.
Roger J. Menke, 64, of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids.A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Catholic Church in Bancroft, with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Oakcrest Funeral Services of Bancroft, with a Scripture prayer service and rosary beginning at 7 p.m.Roger John Menke was born in Swea City on July 12, 1946, to Leander Joseph and his spouse, Esther Mary (Schiltz) Menke, the seventh of 10 children. He grew up on the family farm, between Swea City and Bancroft, attending St. John's Grade and High Schools in Bancroft. After overcoming some health problems in early adulthood, he attended Loras College and graduated from the University of Detroit (now the University of Detroit-Mercy) with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering in 1969.Roger worked as a co-op engineering student with General Motors Corp., from May 1966 through his graduation. After he got his bachelor's degree, he continued working for that company, accumulating 35 years of service before retiring. Roger then moved to Cedar Rapids, where he and several brothers built a duplex condominium for Roger and his brother, Jim.He enjoyed traveling and visiting his many nephews and nieces in the Midwest. Almost every Christmas, he visited nephews and nieces, and later, grandnephews and grandnieces.Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Leander and Esther (Schiltz) Menke; and two brothers, Cletus Nicholas and Carl Leo.He is survived by five brothers and two sisters, Maurice Joseph Menke and his spouse Charlene of Albuquerque, N.M., Rachel Rose Weber of Orland Park, Ill., James Arthur (Jim) Menke and his spouse Sharon of Cedar Rapids, Jerome Arnold Menke and his spouse Rita of Algona, Philip Joseph Menke and spouse Sandra of Algona, Russell Dominic Menke and spouse Linda Harrison of Spokane, Wash., and Rita Mildred Schroeder and spouse Jim of Richmond, Minn.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other family and friends.Online condolences may be left to
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