Roger William Brand

Roger William Brand died on March 20, 2023, one week before his 90th birthday.  Roger was born on the family farm in Hart Township, Winona County, Minn., to Edward and Mabel Brand on March 27,1933.  Roger was the fourth child in a family of 10 children.  He attended a one room school and later attended the local church school.  He attended Rushford High School, graduating in June 1951.  Later that summer he went to Milwaukee, Wis., to go to college.  He also worked full-time for an engineering and surveying firm in Milwaukee.  

Then in April of 1952, he entered the U.S. Army for  two years of service.  Thirteen months of his service was in South Korea.  Returning from service, he attended college in Winona, Minn., for one year.  

Roger was married to Betty Ronnenberg on October 1, 1955.  They moved back to Milwaukee where Roger continued to work at a surveying firm until May 1957.  He and Betty moved to Rochester, Minn., where Roger got a surveying job at K.M. McGhie Engineering.  Roger worked there for 13 years.  He then took a job with Olmsted County as their first full-time surveyor in 1970, where he surveyed for the next 17 years.  In 1987, Roger left the County and started his private surveying career with his office in St. Charles, Minn.  He retired from surveying in June of 2018 at the age of 85.  

Roger has been a long-time member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rochester, where he served as an elder for many years and served on several committees.  

Roger is survived by his wife Betty, his two sons, Jeffrey and Gregory; daughter Rhonda, and granddaughter Cherie, his three brothers: Charles, John, and Larry; nine grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.  

Roger was preceded in death by his parents Edward and Mabel Brand, daughter Rochelle, one grandchild, his five sisters, and one brother.

A memorial  service will be held at a later date.