A celebration of life will be at 1:30 pm on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Ulm with Pastor Timothy Anderson officiating. Burial will follow in the Soldiers Rest section of the City Cemetery in New Ulm. New Ulm Area Comrades of Valor Honor Guard will provide full military honors. Visitation will be held from 12:30-1:30 pm on Saturday, at church, prior to the celebration of life. To leave an online condolence for the family, or to sign the guestbook, please visit: www.mvfh.org.

Roger Wilbur Cherrington was born February 16, 1925, in Freeborn, Minnesota to Warren and Anna Ruth (Miller) Cherrington. He grew up and attended high school in New Richland, Minnesota, and enlisted in the U.S Navy in 1942 at age 17. He served six years as a Torpedoman on the destroyers U.S.S.Taussig and U.S.S. Robinson in the North and South Pacific Front during and after World War II. After his discharge he continued to further his education with many trainings and advanced certifications in engineering and design. During his long career as a machinist, tool and die maker, blacksmith, engineer, manager, and entrepreneur he worked as a tool and die maker for E.S. Gandrud in Owatonna, owned and operated a machine and welding shop in Pine City, managed a potato harvester plant in Braham, and worked as an engineering supervisor at 3M in New Ulm and at C & R Fabricating in Winthrop. He was a founder of and managed Cherrington Corporation in Fairfax, MN, manufacturer of self-propelled beachcleaning equipment, until his retirement. He held several patents and was an engineer and designer in every facet of his career. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge for over 60 years, achieving the degree of Master Mason. A lifelong church member, he was a charter member of Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Ulm.

Roger was united in marriage to Joanne Evenson on May 14, 1948 at LeSueur River Lutheran Church in New Richland, Minnesota, and they shared a beautiful journey of seventy-seven years. They were blessed with four children, whom they together raised in Owatonna, Pine City, and New Ulm, and all of whom survive him. His family includes his children Judith (Eugene) Nelson of New Ulm, Carol (Stephen) Hatfield of Indianapolis, Indiana, Craig Cherrington of Wrenshall, Minnesota and Barbara (Douglas) Pappin of Byron, Minnesota; nine grandchildren and their significant others (Matthew Hatfield, Derek Cherrington, Warren Cherrington, Caitlin Kee, Rhiannon Janke, Samuel Nelson, Robby Pappin, Alicia Reedy), fourteen great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews and extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his older siblings, Chester Cherrington (Rosalie), Sylvia Boettger (Jule), Carol Hansen (Lloyd), and Betty Nelson (Paul), as well as Joanne’s parents Arthur and Alice Evenson, and other close family members.

Roger was a person of high ethics, humor and intelligence, who had many interests throughout his life and in his retirement. He was an expert fisherman, enjoying many years with Joanne and family at their Lake Marion cabin, and up north at their home near their son’s place in the woods. An expert card player and a voracious reader, he had a continuing interest in world events, supplemented by his wide travels with Joanne. He was a musician, craftsman, and artist, making music with his harmonica and guitar, and designing and building many functional and lovely items for family and friends in his metal working hobby shops. He was very proud of completing five Stirling external combustion model engines, for which he machined and built every component. More than anything, he enjoyed many years of dancing and partnering with his true love, Joanne. He loved every moment he got to spend with his children and grandchildren, great- grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, and they will always have the gifts of his love, attention, and example of a life well-lived. He will be forever remembered by all who knew and loved him.

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