Roger Wackerla

Memorial services will be held on Saturday March 28, 2015 at 10:30 AM at the Oconto Community Building in Oconto with Father Neal Nollette officiating. A register book may be signed on Friday at Govier Bros. Mortuary in Broken Bow. Condolences can be sent to the family online at www.govierbrothers.com AFTER AN ILLNESS OF SIX WEEKS, ROGER WACKERLA PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 23, 2015 AT THE VA HOSPITAL IN GRAND ISLAND, NE AT THE AGE OF 65 YEARS AND 17 DAYS. ROGER WAS BORN ON MARCH 6, 1950 IN BROKEN BOW, NEBRASKA DURING THE BLIZZARD OF “49” TO GEORGE E. AND CAROL D. (GLENDY) WACKERLA. HE WAS THE FIRST OF TWO CHILDREN BORN TO THIS UNION. HIS EARLY YEARS WERE SPENT ON THE MCDANIEL PLACE NEAR PRESSEY PARK WHERE HE WORKED ON THE L.O. GLENDY RANCH WITH HIS PARENTS, BROTHER, GRAND-PARENTS, UNCLES, AUNT AND COUSINS. HE ATTENDED TUCKERVILLE GRADE SCHOOL FOR NINE YEARS. HE LATER ATTENDED OCONTO PUBLIC HIGH WHERE HE GRADUATED WITH THE CLASS OF 1968. HE PARTICIPATED IN FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL AND TRACK. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS HE WAS EMPLOYED ON THE RANCH AND ALSO WORKED FOR PAULSEN’S INC. HE WORKED WITH CONCRETE AND ALSO RAN HEAVY DIRT MOVING EQUIPMENT. HE CONTINUED THIS PROFESSION FOLLOWING HIS MILITARY HONORABLE DISCHARGE. AT A YOUNG AGE, ROGER WAS CONFIRMED AND BAPTIZED AT THE ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN OCONTO. IN MAY, 1970, ROGER WAS CALLED TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY IN THE VIETNAM WAR. IT WAS DURING HIS TENURE THAT HE RECEIVED A PERMANENT BACK INJURY WHEN A BUNKER COLLAPSED ON HIM DURING COMBAT. HE LIVED WITH THIS INJURY THE REST OF HIS LIFE WHICH LIMITED HIS ACTIVITIES. HE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING MEDALS: NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, SHARPSHOTTER (M-16 RIFLE); VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL; EXPERT (M-60 MACHINE GUN); AND VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL W/60 DVC. ROGER LOVED TO HUNT AND FISH. HE WAS AN EXCELLENT BLUE ROCK SHOOTER AND ATTENDED MANY SKEET SHOOTS IN THE AREA. ROGER IS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS TWO SETS OF GRANDPARENTS: EMMETT AND FRANCES (GRAYEK) WACKERLA; AND LEONARD AND MABEL (STOCKHAM) GLENDY; A STEP GRANDMOTHER LELA (REEVES) GLENDY; PARENTS: GEORGE IN 1983 AND CAROL IN 2004; AUNTS, UNCLES, AND THREE FIRST COUSINS. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS BROTHER, RONALD G. WACKERLA OF OCONTO; NUMEROUS FIRST COUSINS, OTHER RELATIVES AND SPECIAL FRIENDS, WALLY WALLINGFORD OF TUTHILL, SOUTH DAKOTA AND ROCKY DOCKWEILER OF OCONTO. ROGER WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS DRY SENSE OF HUMOR, WORK ETHIC DURING HIS DISABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST OTHERS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED. HE WILL BE DEARLY MISSED.