Roger Bowman Stone, 90, of Sturgis, SD, died on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at Monument Health Sturgis hospital.
Roger Stone was born in Alcester, SD, on October 10, 1933, to Bowman and Helen (Slocum) Stone. Raised in Elk Point, he joined the US Army in 1953 and served two years on active duty in Korea. He also served many years and retired from the SD National Guard Reserves.
He moved to the Black Hills in the sixties for his job with the SD Department of Transportation. He met and married Alva Lekberg in Sturgis on September 14, 1962. Their son, Norman was born the following year. Roger continued working with the SD DOT till his retirement. He and Alva moved to Sioux Falls in 2001 to be closer to their grandchildren. They lived there for ten years before moving back West River to the H ills.
Roger enjoyed hearing a good story as much as he enjoyed telling one. He was blessed with a quick wit and a kind heart. He LOVED to dance and was virtually unbeatable at gin rummy and cribbage.
He had two noteworthy relatives: on his father’s Stone side he was related to Lucy B. Stone, the famous suffragist, and on his mother’s Slocum side, he was kin to Joshua Slocum, the first recorded person to sail singlehandedly around the world (1895-98).
Roger was preceded in death by his sister, Marlys Bye; his wife, Alva Stone; son, Norman Stone; and special cousin, Bud Deane.
He is survived by daughter-in-law, Julie Willey; granddaughters, Tatum Stone (Will and Noah Delfs), Whitney (Brent) Schuettpelz, Morgan (Austin) Haberer, and Mallory Parks; nieces, Marcia (Don) Hovden and Donna (Warren Gregg) Bye; sister-in-law, Edyth Olson; stepson, Michael Lekberg; son-in-law, Steven Linman; and special friends, Dean and JoAnn Harmon.
Memorial visitation will be 12-1 p.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2023, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. Inurnment, with military honors, will be at 3:00 p.m. at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com.
