Obituary of Roger Craig Kittelson

Roger Craig Kittelson was born in Veblen, South Dakota on March 26, 1930, and died of natural causes in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 6, 2023. He was a fundamentally decent man who was generous with his family, friends, and community, and he is enormously missed.

Roger was a great storyteller and loved to share tales of his early life in Veblen. From learning to read before he began school (thanks to his teacher mother) to driving his father’s dairy truck to collect cream at age 12 when adult men were drafted for World War II – in his later years he loved to reminisce. As a young teenager Roger moved with his family to Brooten, Minnesota, near where his grandparents farmed after immigrating from Norway. A self-described “aviation nut,” he loved anything to do with flying from a young age. He graduated as valedictorian of his class from Brooten High School, going on first to St. Olaf College and then transferring to the University of Minnesota where he graduated with a degree in business. He had a good head for figures and missed having a double degree in accounting and business by only one class – saying that he would have taken that extra class had his advisor just told him about it!

After a stint in the army, where he landed a desk job that exempted him from deployment to Korea because of fast typing skills, Roger worked at Hoerner Waldorf paper products where he picked up the skills to make a custom cardboard box for anything (really, anything). In his off time, he enjoyed single life including winter ski trips with the Ullrs and summers on the St. Croix with friends nicknamed “The River Rats.” Through the Ullrs he met his future wife, Donna Schumacher, and they wed in 1962. Marriage brought Roger a ready-made family as he adopted Donna’s daughters. He began working at Honeywell soon after and in his spare time followed his lifelong passion for aviation. He joined Flywell Flying Club at Anoka airport where he earned his pilot’s license and, as always, made many friends. Roger eventually bought his own plane, a classic 1966 Mooney M20C and flew it into his 80s as a card-carrying member of the UFO (United Flying Octogenarians…he always got a kick out of that acronym).

Roger and Donna left Minnesota in the late 1970s for a seven-year stint as hardware store owners in Lolo, Montana, before moving on to the southwest where they settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico with a successful car wash business. Roger inherited his father’s knack for business and enjoyed self-employment, taking employees under his wing. He continued his passion for flying privately and through search and rescue missions with the Civil Air Patrol. In 2000 he entrusted the car wash to his manager and retired with Donna to Belgrade, Montana where he made even more friends, did more flying and dearly loved the “360-degree view” of the Gallatin Valley from a home that he and Donna built in 2005.

He stayed in that home until 2021, when a fall led to his move to Missoula, Montana near his daughter Tamara. Later that year Roger moved to Lexington Landing in St. Paul, Minnesota. His granddaughter Julian visited often until Tamara moved to Minneapolis a few months later. Roger was a beloved member of the Arbor Apartments memory care community. Those who assisted him there miss his sweet nature, sense of humor, and smile.

As father and grandfather, Roger was a precious member of Tamara’s family. He was a steady presence who never failed to offer help at crucial times, not only to family members but to friends as well. Roger was also a valued business mentor to younger men.

Roger was predeceased by his wife Donna, parents Harry and May Kittelson, and siblings Diane and Marshall. He is survived by his daughter Tamara Kittelson and granddaughters Arwen Kittelson-Aldred (Ahmad) and Julian Kittelson-Aldred (James). Several nieces and nephews were close to Roger including Kim Codding (Tim), Doug Schumacher (Maggie), Amy Bates, John Kittelson and Susan Fritz.

A celebration of Roger’s life will be held at 7 p.m. on June 9 in the chapel at Lexington Landing (900 Old Lexington Ave S, St. Paul, MN), refreshments to follow. A graveside service for the interment of ashes will take place at 12:30 p.m. on June 11 at the Big Grove Lutheran Church Cemetery, Belgrade, MN. Memorial gifts can be made to the Belgrade Senior Center Meals on Wheels program at PayPal.Me/BelgradeSeniorCenter