Visitation for Roger A. Redig age 70, of Aurelia will be Sunday, February 15th, 2026 from 12 until 8pm at the Aurelia Community Center.
Roger Alan Redig was born August 24, 1955, to Melvin Anton and Elizabeth Marie (Pedersen) Redig at Swallum Hospital in Storm Lake, Iowa, beginning his residency with a view of the lake. Growing up in Storm Lake, Roger enjoyed the things most boys do: riding bikes, playing with friends, and going to the pool, which happened to be across the street. When that didn’t satisfy his need for adventure, there was always the lake to provide entertainment.
Living at the edge of town, he ranged out a bit looking for things to do. This led to playing in the Storm Lake Cemetery, peeing off the train trestle bridge, and riding his bike down the old main gate hill, coasting all the way home. As Roger grew older and was able to work, he began at The Harbor House restaurant as a busboy the day it opened. He worked there through high school and beyond, eventually doing every job, including managing. Roger graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1974. After high school, he opened Redig Antiques in Melvin’s former Redig’s Station and Garage.
In 1976, Roger took a job as the night manager at the Happy Chef in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was there that he met Pat Cowell. He didn’t stay long in Cedar Rapids, returning home to help care for his grandfather, RJ. After enduring a long-distance relationship, a proposal of marriage was made, and Pat moved to Storm Lake after they were married on June 24, 1978, at Asbury United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids. Along with caring for RJ, Roger and Pat worked at and managed The Harbor House restaurant.
Through his work at the restaurant, Roger met Dave and Muriel Nelson, owners and proprietors of the Hughes-Nelson Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Roger began assisting Dave at the funeral home, where he realized his passion for the funeral industry and for serving others. As time progressed, he also assisted Lowell and Jan Jones in Alta and George and Florence Wharton in Aurelia at their funeral homes.
On August 30, 1983, Roger and Pat welcomed a daughter, Rachel Jo. While working in the funeral homes and at the restaurant, Roger also began attending classes at Buena Vista College. In September of 1986, Roger left Storm Lake to attend Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago. While in mortuary school, he lived at and worked for Smith-Corcoran Funeral Homes. After graduating, he returned to Storm Lake to be closer to his family and work with Dave, Lowell, and George.
In late fall of 1989, Roger and the family moved to Ackley, Iowa, where Roger took a job with the Brandt-Fritz Funeral Homes. Roger and Pat welcomed their son, Roman Anton, on February 10, 1990. Their time in Ackley lasted 14 months. The family then moved to Aurelia, Iowa, when Roger and Pat purchased the Wharton Funeral Home.
As the kids grew and the business continued, Roger found himself expanding his service to the community. He served on the Library Board, Friends of the Aurelia Public Library, the Aurelia Municipal Electric Board, the Aurelia Commercial Club, Kiwanis, the Aurelia Development Corporation, the Harker House Foundation, as Pitcher Township Clerk, as Secretary and Treasurer of the Aurelia Fire Department, as Secretary and Treasurer of the Aurelia Fire Board, the Cherokee County Legacy Foundation, as Treasurer of the Pomegranate Masonic Lodge, Aurelia Housing Inc., the Abu Bekr Shrine, and the Buena Vista County Historical Society. Roger served on many of these boards and organizations for decades, some for more than 30 years. He took great pride in his service to his community.
Roger died on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Accura Healthcare in Aurelia, Iowa, at the age of 70, where he had been a resident for 21 days.
Roger’s greatest joys in life were his family and his friends. He loved to play cards, share a meal, and was always ready with a quick joke or witty one-liner. His work ethic and professional demeanor were second to none, yet he was able to be everything to everyone in their time of need.
Roger was preceded in death by his parents Mel and Betty Redig; parents-in-law George and Jo Cowell; brother-in-law Rick Hilbert; and on January 9, 2024, his loving wife Pat.
Left with a house full of stuff and more antiques than they will ever know what to do with, Roger is survived by his children and grandchildren: Rachel and her husband Simon, and their daughters Erica and Riley Williams of Estherville, Iowa, and Roman and his wife Shelby, and their children Remi and Ryan Redig of Aurelia, Iowa. He is also survived by his sister Marcia Hilbert; brother Randy Redig; nieces: Amy and her husband Brad Pohlman, Nicolle and her husband Eric Rubendall, Mandy and her husband Trevor Shannon, Sarah Hilbert and her wife Donna Lancaster, Leah Beth Schipper, and Anna Kaye Cowell; nephews Thomas and his wife Jazmine Cowell, Simon Cowell, and Lakota Cowell; 20 great-nieces and great-nephews; honorary daughter Suzi Gustafson; beloved cousin Steven Ellrich; along with many relatives and dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorial funds have been established.