Roger Barten


604th Air Craft and Warning Squadron.
Roger served in the Air Force from 1956 - 1960 as a mechanic at a radar station near Regensburg, Germany.


In Memory of Roger Barten
Visitation 5:00 PM Kessler Funeral Homes - Audubon 515 South Division Street, Audubon
Service 10:30 AM Ebenezer Lutheran Church West of Audubon

Roger Gene Barten, the son of John and Elda (Rothfolk) Barten was born March 6, 1938, at his grandmother's home south of Manning, Iowa, and died February 15, 2016, at the Mercy Hospital Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 77 years, 11 months, and 9 days.

Roger was baptized on August 7, 1938, and confirmed on March 29, 1953, at Zion Lutheran Church in Manning, Iowa. He attended rural school, Jefferson No. 1 Shelby County through eighth grade and was a member of the Shelby County 4-H. He then graduated from the Manning High School with the Class of 1956 and was an active member of the Future Farmers of America and was awarded the prestigious Iowa Farmer Degree in 1956. On August 6, 1956, he enlisted into the United States Air Force. During his tour of duty he was stationed in the U.S. and Germany and serviced as a mechanic. He was honorably discharged on March 11, 1960, and returned home where he was employed as a mechanic for Puck Implement in April of that year.

On October 16, 1960, he was united in marriage to JoAnn Marie Schmidt at the Ebenezer Lutheran Church west of Audubon, Iowa. They were blessed with four children, Douglas Gene, Dennis Dean, Gary Lynn, and Kristi Sue. Roger worked for Puck Implement until March of 1970 when they moved to his father-in-law's farm west of Audubon and began farming. In addition to growing row crops, Roger milked cows for several years and raised hogs farrow to finish for a number of years. He operated a custom large-baling business from 1991 through 2008. He also had a cow-calf herd and sold his calves as feeder cattle until he retired in 2010.

Roger was an active member of the Ebenezer Lutheran Church west of Audubon where he served on the church council and also as Treasurer. He attended Veteran's Night School at the Manning and Carroll campus from 1973-1977. Roger was a 4-H leader for the Fiscus Feeders Club from 1976-1983 and was a member of the Audubon FFA Alumni's and served as president for 1992 through 1997. He was a member of the Western Iowa Feeder Cattle Producers Association and served as a director. He served as a Douglas Township Trustee for many years and took on the responsibility of mowing the Douglas Township Cemetery. He helped with the ASCS and was a member of the Audubon County Farm Bureau where he received the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award in 2012.

Preceding him in death were his parents John and Elda Barten; his father-in-law and mother-in-law Herman and Margaret Schmidt; his brother Robert Barten; and his brother-in-law Tom Hoffman.

Survivors include his wife JoAnn Barten of Audubon, Iowa; his children Doug Barten and friend Diane Ruffcorn of Audubon, Iowa, Dennis Barten of Kirkwood, Missouri, Gary and wife Dawn Barten of Nekoosa, Wisconsin, and Kristi and husband Gary Siwajek of Moline, Illinois; his grandchildren John, Karsten, and Elizabeth Barten all of Nakoosa, Wisconsin and AudreySiwajek of Moline, Illinois; his sisters Dorothy and husband Richard Armentrout of Brighton, Colorado and Linda and husband Steve Atkins of Shellsburg, Iowa; his sister-in-law Phyllis Hoffman of Exira, Iowa; his aunt Mary Ann Birchard of Spokane Valley, Washington, and Mary Jane Rothfolk of Coon Rapids, Iowa; JoAnn's aunt Irene Schmidt of Atlantic, Iowa; cousins; nieces, nephews other relatives and many friends.

Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Roger Claxton on Friday, February 19, 2016, at 10:30 A.M. at the Ebenezer Lutheran Church west of Audubon, Iowa. Interment will be in the Ebenezer Lutheran Cemetery that surrounds the church. The honorary casket bearers will be Bryan Armentrout, Derek Armentrout, Fred Gruhn, Jerald Barten, Norlan Rasmussen, Marlin Lewis, Mike Spetman, Jo Porsch, and Wendall Schmidt. The casket bearers will be Doug Barten, Gary Barten, Gary Siwajek, Jerry Hoffman, Steven Hoffman, and Brian Hoffman. The family will meet with friends on Thursday evening at 5:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa. The family prefers memorials to the Ebenezer Lutheran Church west of Audubon, Iowa.