Roger Buchholz

Roger Buchholz, age 77, of McIntosh, MN, passed away on Sunday, March 10^th, at his home with his family by his side. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 18^th, at Bethel Assembly Church in Fosston with Pastor Seth Johnson officiating. Interment will be in the North Dakota Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan, ND. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Sunday, March 17^th, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Fosston. There will also be reviewal for one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church.  Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of McIntosh and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be sent to the local Crookston DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Chapter 14 in care of: Commander Dennis Boucher, 25804 310th St. SE, McIntosh, MN 56556.

Roger Allen Buchholz, “Buck” was born on January 6, 1947 in Fergus Falls, MN to parents Vernon Otto and Velda Adeline (Kugler) Buchholz. They lived on the homestead farm of his grandparents, August and Emma (Dreschel) Buchholz in Friberg Township, rural Fergus Falls, MN. Roger was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church, West Friberg Township.

Roger attended Friberg Township Country School, district 229, through 8th grade and then went on to graduate from Fergus Falls High School in 1965. After high school, he attended Fergus Falls Junior College for two years and Minnesota State University for one year before joining the military in 1968.

Roger enjoyed drag racing in his younger years, bringing home numerous trophies from the Winnipeg, Brainerd, Marion, SD and Fargo-Moorhead racing circuits. Roger started racing with his ’67 Challenger and then went on to build his own cars. At one point, he also owned a car with his good friend and fellow racing enthusiast, Dave Piekarski. He tested his race cars at night on the tar road near the farm he grew up in Fergus, and made quite a stir on the party line in the morning, “Did you hear all that noise?!”

Roger met his future wife Linda in Bemidji in 1974 and they went on to marry March 31st, 1975. To this union, 3 children were born; Jennifer Lynn, Ryan Roger and Lisa Kay. Linda’s son Scott was always like a son to Roger. When asked how many kids he had, he always said four. Roger was very proud of his granddaughter Kaitlyn, who joined the Bemidji High School JROTC and is now the Battalion Commander. He also had a special place in his heart for his one year old granddaughter, Roan. She loved to give her grandpa kisses, sit on his lap and put her hand on his.

In 1973, Roger purchased his home farm in McIntosh, MN from Joe Thompson, and in 1974 he purchased the adjoining Tom Boe farm. He lived on and worked the land he loved so much here for over 50 years. Various crops were sown during this time to include sunflowers, navy beans, buckwheat, barley, spring wheat, winter wheat and soybeans. He was always so proud of his huge garden that he had every year as well. Roger was a natural mechanic, turning wrenches expertly on all things mechanical. His daughter Lisa inherited this aptitude towards mechanical engineering and received her degree from NDSU in Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering. Lisa is employed by John Deere Seeding Group in Valley City, ND, as their Assembly Engineering Supervisor and Roger couldn’t have been more proud of her. Jenny followed in her father’s military footsteps and served in the Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller for four years. Scott helped on the farm at harvest and Roger was so appreciative of all his hard work. One of Roger’s happiest moments was when his son Ryan said he wanted to come home and farm with him. Roger took great pride in farming with Ryan and was so proud of the farmer he had become. Roger loved the farm life and enjoyed the peacefulness of country living.

Over the years, some of Roger’s past community involvement included: Past President of East Polk County Crop Improvement Association, Former Director of McIntosh Co-op Oil, Former member of the American Legion, Former member of Enlisted Association of the National Guard, Former Advisory Board Member of Farm Credit Services of Grand Forks, Former Board Member of Glacier Frozen Foods, Inc. (a corporation promoting vegetable production and processing in northern Minnesota)

He enjoyed fishing and hiking trips with Ryan and Scott in Kodiak, Alaska, where Scott has worked for many years. During his first Kodiak trip, he caught a 82”, 340 pound halibut from an 18 foot skiff in one of Scott’s hotspots and camped on the Karluk river, fishing king salmon. Fishing trips to Lake of the Woods, elk hunting trips to Colorado and Wyoming, along with golfing with his friends were events he always looked forward to. He enjoyed everything military, from visiting museums, reading non-fiction books and watching military documentaries on film. There was always a card game going at the Buchholz holiday gatherings, which he enthusiastically participated in. Roger, his siblings and in-laws have always had a close knit bond which was evident if you have ever watched one of their spirited games of smear or pinochle. Roger and Linda also loved to travel, and spent many vacations with relatives. Many fun vacations and day trips were had over the years with his brother Dale and sister-in-law, Karen.

Roger enjoyed spending time with Linda at their desert home in Arizona and loved to be there with their children and grandchildren on trips making wonderful memories. While there, much fun was had exploring the desert, going to the Barrett-Jackson car show, attending the retired Guard members breakfast outings, spending time with relatives and side by side rides in the desert. He took pride in tending to his desert landscape around his home in the foothills of Arizona.

Roger always made anniversaries with Linda special, he took her out for a special evening and there was always a dozen red roses waiting for her. Roger planned and surprised Linda with anniversary trips to Arizona, Jamaica and Hawaii and those heartfelt memories will always be remembered and cherished.

Buck enlisted in the North Dakota Air National Guard in June of 1968 in the Weapons Maintenance Career Field. He completed basic training at Lackland AFB, TX and then went on to Weapons Release/Loading Tech School at Lowry AFB, TX. After graduating with Honors from Tech School, he became a loader and weapons release technician for the F-102, F-101 and F-4 interceptor-fighter jet aircraft stationed at the NDANG. He had the distinction of being the only Traditional Guardsman (weekender) to become a supervisor of the Weapons Release Shop. He transitioned to become the Weapons Safety NCOIC of the 119th Safety Office, eventually earning the rank of Chief Master Sergeant in October of 1998. Buck was an integral part of the 119th Fighter Wing in Fargo as the Wing Weapons Safety Manager. A unit known as the “Happy Hooligans”, where he made many close lifelong friends. Buck was well known and recognized nationally by the National Guard and USAF as an expert in the field of Weapons Safety. After his military retirement, with over 35 years in the NDANG, he became a contractor with the ANG as a Weapons Safety Inspector for many years. CMSgt Roger Buchholz’s patriotism and dedication were beyond compare while serving with the Best Air National Guard Unit on Planet Earth, the 119th Fighter Wing, North Dakota Air National Guard.

Roger was a man of his generation, where necessity is the mother of invention. Where you fixed it, rather than buying it, where you built it, if it did not exist. He naturally had the aptitude to understand the theory of operation. Therefore, he would apply himself to these tasks, and accomplish them. There were no set hours, he would work late and begin early. He was not the person to sit on the couch or sleep in. He was always working. He strived to work on projects from beginning to end. As it was with his farming career, military service, renovating the 1860’s house in Iowa and the construction and development of the house in Arizona. He was a man that shined, with a “can do” work ethic, that accomplished a great many things. He will be missed, but can never be replaced. He really was that type of man.

Roger passed away on March 10th, 2024 on his farm of over 50 years surrounded by his family.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 48 years. Linda Buchholz, four children: Scott (Melissa) Detschman, Jennifer Buchholz, Ryan Buchholz, Lisa (Taylor) Lund, grandkids Kaitlyn Detschman and Roan Lund; his siblings, Carol (Ron) Chihos, Bonnie (Duane) Hansen, Dale (Karen) Buchholz, Larry (Julie) Buchholz, Brian (Tracy) Buchholz, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, August and Emma (Dreschel) Buchholz, John and Lillian (Olds) Kugler, parents Vernon and Velda, sister Shirley Buchholz-Hubbard, special Brother-in-Law Lloyd Hubbard and close friends Lloyd Schleicher and Gordy Sonstelie.