Roger Fjeld, age 68, of Fertile, MN, passed away early Wednesday morning, October 18, 2023, at Sanford Heart Hospital, Fargo, ND, after sustaining a head injury from a fall behind his home. His fall, which happened on September 22, resulted in a slow, undetected brain bleed, which led to two brain surgeries and, ultimately, brain death. He was surrounded by his family when he passed.
Roger Wayne Fjeld was born in Mahnomen, MN, on April 20, 1955, to Clifford and Iris (Stuhr) Fjeld. He was the youngest of four children. He was a passenger in an automobile accident with his mother when he was 12 years old, she passed away from her injuries six days later. Pulling through this tragedy drew the family very close, and they remained strong in their faith in the Lord. Roger graduated from Twin Valley High School in 1973 and the culinary program at Moorhead Vocational Technical Institute in 1974. He was hired as the head chef and assistant manager at the Red-Carpet Steak House in Ada and later the Pembina Lounge in Mahnomen. Roger was a great chef, known for his delicious ribs and au gratin potatoes!
In the summer of 1975, he hired a waitress named Belinda Halverson who was completing her music teaching degree at Concordia College. They commuted together to work and soon after started dating. She was hired as a music teacher in Crookston, MN in 1976. On January 7, 1978, they were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Twin Valley, MN. Being it was halfway between Mahnomen and Crookston, they chose Fertile as their home, each driving to their places of employment. In those first few months they rarely saw each other because their work schedules were opposite. Roger decided to leave the restaurant business that summer and went to work on the tie gangs with Burlington Northern Railroad. Their children, Jacob and BreAnne, were in 5th and 3rd grade when Roger injured his back on the RR in the fall of 1991. His first back surgery resulted in a staph infection, which eventually ended his career on the railroad. He went through three more back surgeries over the next few years, including a fusion and putting plates and screws in his back. He lived with back pain the rest of his life.
Roger did a lot of traveling over his lifetime. He helped his sister and her family move to Fertile from Anchorage, AK, driving the Alaskan Highway with their station wagon and a canoe on top of the car. He took his parents-in-laws, and his family bundled up like sardines, in the Celebrity Wagon to Fort Worth, TX, for them to see Babette’s newborn son, Tommy. The family flew to Sweden for Rachel Westhed’s wedding in Dala Jarna, while there they traveled with backpacks by train to Norway, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Babette was stationed in the U.S. Army in Seoul, Korea, and Roger and Belinda traveled to Seoul to attend Tommy’s high school graduation. While there, they took a USO trip to Beijing and walked the Great Wall, then stopped in Hawaii, to visit Belinda’s cousins on the way home. Roger was also one of the chaperones for three of the Crookston High School music trips to Disney World, FL, chaperoning 150 music students each time. He enjoyed staying at their camper near Pequot Lakes and driving his Oldsmobile ’65 442 in the summer. Recently he traveled to Deadwood, SD and Dodge City, KS with his brother Cliff.
Jacob’s daughter, BreElla, and her mother, Tiffany, lived with them for a few years. He loved picking BreElla up after school and taking her to the drug store to get a Beanie-Baby and/or candy treat! He had multiple health challenges over the years but despite his discomfort, he was always willing to donate his spare and free time to help his family, neighbors, and the elderly. Last August, he gave his long hair to “Wigs for Kids.”
In 2017, Roger was diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer. He doctored for years at Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo. He was thrilled to be able to walk his daughter, BreAnne, down the aisle for her wedding to Anton Council on May 14, 2022, at Zion National Park, Utah. Despite his constant pain and health challenges, Roger always kept a positive attitude and often said “I’ve never had it so good!”
Roger was our cheerleader; a devoted, gentle, kind, loving, supportive husband, father, and grandfather, and will be missed by all of us so very much.
Roger was a member of Concordia Lutheran Church, Fertile.
Roger is survived by his wife, Belinda; his son, Jacob; and granddaughter, BreElla Rose Peper; his daughter, BreAnne (Anton) Council; one brother, Clifford Jr.; his sister, Debra (Steve) Winter; sisters-in-law, Bridget (Jim) Swenson, Babette Camacho and Cindy Halverson; brother-in-law, Bradley (Lisa) Halverson; aunts and uncle, Donald (Laura) Fjeld and Eleanor Fjeld; aunts and uncles-in-law, Harlan and Sylvia Bueng, and Noel and Phyllis Sletten; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Iris and Clifford; his parents-in-law, Allan and Norma Halverson; his brother, Lyle; his sisters-in-law Carrie and Dixie; his brother-in-law, Blaid Halverson; and a great niece, Madison Johnson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to Concordia Lutheran Church, Fertile, MN, earmarking “Water to Thrive Well Fund,” “Quilting Fund” and “Cemetery Fund.”
Celebration of Life Service: 2:00 PM, Friday, November 3, 2023 at Concordia Lutheran Church, Fertile, MN.
Visitation: One hour before the service at the church.
Inurnment: Concordia East Cemetery, Fertile, MN.
Please view our guestbook and share condolences online at www.eriksonvikfh.com
Arrangements with Erikson-Vik-Ganje Funeral Home
Fertile, Minnesota
