Roger Stearns, Bowman ND, passed away on October 19, 2019 at Bismarck, ND he was 92 years old. Funeral Services for Roger will be on Friday, October 25, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bowman United Methodist Church. Pastor Ray Sherwood will officiate with burial to follow in the Bowman Cemetery. There will be a Family and Friends Services on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. also at the Bowman United Methodist Church. Visitation for Roger will be on Thursday, from 10-5 at the Funeral Home Chapel and from 6-9 at the Church.

Roger was born to Elvis and Florence (Grant) Stearns on the Ranch at Table Mountain in Harding Co., South Dakota on August 13, 1927. He attended Country School all eight years around Table Mountain and he and his brother Don lived with their Grandparents while attending Spearfish High School. There he excelled in Football/Track (ran a record 9.9 in 100-yard dash in 1944) and graduated in 1945. He headed straight to the Ranch upon graduation to help his Dad during wartime as there was no help to hire in the area.

Roger met Ruth Fisher in 1940 at the Karinen Post Office/Dance Hall at the age of 13. After graduating from their respective High Schools, they started dating and were married in 1946. Roger and Ruth were married for 73 years and shared the same birthday. Roger and Ruth had three boys (Bill, Dave and Todd) and they all worked on the ranch in partnership with his brother Don and his family until 1961. He and Don also learned about the oil business (while ranching) from the ground up, as night-shift "roughneckers" in the North-Buffalo oil field.

Roger became the sole owner and operator of the Ranch until he was joined by his youngest son Todd in 1977, and they ranched together for another 20 years. He was always grateful for his hired foremen and his sons that worked with him on the Ranch. He did everything in life and the ranching business in a big way; when he went into the Sheep business in the early-60's he started with several thousand ewes, when he started farming in the mid-60's, he broke-up vast areas of sagebrush and turned it into productive land, and then he capped his ranching career helping Todd complete a large cattle/farming operation.

Roger and Ruth moved from the Ranch to Bowman in 1961, as his oldest son, Bill, started high school.  After semi-retiring from the ranching business, Roger purchased the Best Western 4-U Motel in Bowman and owned it for 10 years. His favorite business advice for his boys; "it's not what you know (or have been taught), it's what you are willing to do".

Roger loved to fly, and started flying with his brother Don when they were in high school, from Spearfish to the Ranch (for weekend work) and back. He took private lessons from Vic Wokal and obtained his Pilot's License, and later became and instrument-rated Pilot.  He had multiple planes over his 40 years as a Pilot, and while living in Bowman during the summer/fall; Roger would load up his boys and sheep dog (Charlie) in his airplane and fly to the Ranch (a 40-mile drive), on every day that it wasn't raining. He would start every work day very early at Gene's Café or the Town and Country Café and his plane would rarely return till sunset at the end of the day.

Roger enjoyed golfing and was a great advocate of the Bowman Golf Course. He spent countless hours revamping the pump and irrigation system from the reservoir that provided water for the golf course.  Because of his work at the Golf Course and granting reservoir and driving-range access, he and Ruth were granted a life-time membership. During his later years in the summer, he could be found on the golf course every morning with Doctor Robert Thom.

Roger and Ruth started going to Mesa "to winter" in 1977, and golfed with friends from their home in Leisure World for 35 years. They made great friendships and Roger outlived all the 20 or so members in his regular weekly fivesomes. They both liked to dance (including square dancing) and rarely missed a dance at the Flagstone Terrace or in Leisure World.

Roger was involved on local boards and municipal projects primarily in Bowman.  He was the Masons "Master" at the Cedar Branch Lodge in Buffalo in 1959, wherein he became a 70-yr. member this summer. He was a founding member of the Bowman Airport Commission and past President. He was a founding member of Bowman Rotary/Board and past President. He was on the St. Luke's Tri-State Hospital Board for 15 years and its Chairman for 10 years. He was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church in Bowman and also served as its Treasurer for a couple of years.

He was preceded in death by his older brother Don, his older sister Norma, and oldest son Bill; and is survived by his wife Ruth, twin siblings Myron and Marilyn (Jim) Shedd, and sons Dave (Sandy) and Todd (Bobbie), and daughter-in-law Polly Stearns (Bill), seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.