Rodger Retter

Rodger Lee Retter, age 77, of Kempner, passed away on Tuesday morning of November 17, 2020, after many years of fighting off cancer.

Rodger was born and raised in Marshalltown Iowa. He was the 4th of nine children to Floyd Glenn Retter and Mertie Floral (Glenn) Retter. He graduated in 1962 from Marshalltown High School and went into the Navy in the Sub Marine Training program in Gordon Connecticut. He was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii afterward and was on the USS Pickerel SS-244 and was the Store Room Clerk. He was married to Virginia in 1963 and had two daughters, Tamara and Kristy. They lived in Honolulu and also spent time in Charleston, South Carolina. Rodger worked on the Mine Counter Support Ship there for a short time and returned to Honolulu for a few more years until he was sent to Vietnam. The family returned to Iowa when Rodger went to Vietnam. When Rodger left the Navy after 10 years, he went into the restaurant business for many years.

Rodger and Virginia were divorced in 1978. He finally settled back into Marshalltown, Iowa, and married Helen Linhart Romig in 1993. They lived and worked in Marshalltown until 2009. They decided to move to Texas to be closer to Helen's daughter Shelly Gossett and her family. They both enjoyed fishing, so they did that as much as they could until Rodger's health started to decline. Rodger lost Helen to Lung Cancer on August 25, 2020. His health just declined from there.

Rodger was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Retter; his parents and grandparents; brother, Floyd Retter and Jerry Retter.

Rodger is survived by his children, Tamara Swenson (Jesse), Kristy Buckingham (Clark); granddaughter, Chase Buckingham, IA; step-daughter, Shelly Gossett and her family; brothers, Glenn Retter (Shirley), Donny Retter and Ronny Retter (Mary); sisters, Joan (Larry) Beck, Jeannie Retter and Pam (Freddie) Cheville, and many nieces and nephews.