Obituary for Roger Emerson Wood
Roger Emerson Wood, age 75, of St. Martin, Mo., passed away Saturday, December 31, 2022, at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital surrounded by his family.
He was born on November 3, 1947, in the home of a midwife near Eldon, Mo., the son of John Emerson and Emma Louise (Sharples) Wood. Roger was born into a farming family and was raised working on the farm. This upbringing taught him to value the simple things in life like the silence of an open field, the magnitude of the night sky, and the crispness of morning air.
A lifelong resident of the central Missouri area, he graduated salutatorian of Miller County from Eldon High School in 1966 and went on to further his education at the University of Kansas. Roger enlisted in the United States Navy on February 12, 1968, and proudly served as a part of the “SeaBees” during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the National Defense Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star prior to his honorable discharge from active duty on December 17, 1970. Roger remained at reserve status until February 12, 1974.
Roger got involved with The Little Theater helping construct stage sets and props and made many friends through his time there. This is where he met Mary Margaret Rode. After a few productions, Roger decided to invite Mary to a New Year’s Eve party. As the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1989, they shared their first kiss, and their destiny was sealed. After many years of dating, Roger and Mary were united in marriage on November 21, 1997, in Jefferson City, Mo. Mary survives in the home.
Roger was a carpenter at heart, he moved to Jefferson City to begin working for Rajac Construction as a Project Manager and went on to hold positions with Gordon Builders, Mid- America Precast, and even worked in sales at Riley Chevrolet. Roger retired in 2015 as a Safety Manager for Sircal Contracting Company following seven years of service.
Roger was an outdoorsman. In his youth he enjoyed hunting various game including, deer, quail, rabbit, squirrel, and even geese, among other quarries. He loved camping and relished times he was able to be far enough away from the city to enjoy the stars without the intrusion of any ambient light. He and his wife spent much time canoeing and fishing at Binder Lake, Mary’s River, JC Lake, and the Meramec River. Roger was a member of the United Sportsman’s Club and even learned the art of fly fishing.
As much as he loved to remain active and spend time in nature, Roger nurtured his mind even more diligently. He was brilliant. He was a lifelong student of philosophy and scripture, dedicating countless hours to research and discovery of deeper perception and sincere relationship with God. He loved to gather information and understanding from many sources to develop true knowledge of whatever material he was studying. One of his favorite quotes from Socrates was “The uninvestigated life is not worth living.” He lived by these words even in his own travels, making it a point to visit local shops and restaurants to converse with the patrons and learn of the cultural background, local history and the true heart of the people in each destination. Roger was set in his well-researched ways and knowledgeable of many topics because he never lost his passion for learning. He was a man of strong faith and was a devoted member of Living Hope Church.
Survivors include: his loving wife of 25 years, Mary Wood; his son, Bryce Emerson Wood and his wife, Lisa of Jefferson City, Mo.; his siblings, Janice Parker and her husband, James of Overland Park, Ks., Jean Rentfro of Jefferson City, Mo., and Marcia Wood of Overland Park Ks.; and one granddaughter, Kirsten Welschmeyer and her husband, Theodore “Gary”; his niece, Kristina Rentfro; great nephew, Eli Daniel Rentfro; and his cat, Fred Emerson Cat.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother-in-law, Jerry Rentfro; his cat, Kitty Cat and beloved dog, Buddy.
Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Saturday, January 7, 2023, at Freeman Mortuary.
A Celebration of Roger’s life will be conducted at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, January 7, 2023, in the Freeman Chapel with the Reverend Mark Kiekhaefer officiating. Interment with full military honors will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Oak Haven Memorial Gardens, Hermann, Mo.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Operation Smile.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Freeman Mortuary, 915 Madison St, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
He was born on November 3, 1947, in the home of a midwife near Eldon, Mo., the son of John Emerson and Emma Louise (Sharples) Wood. Roger was born into a farming family and was raised working on the farm. This upbringing taught him to value the simple things in life like the silence of an open field, the magnitude of the night sky, and the crispness of morning air.
A lifelong resident of the central Missouri area, he graduated salutatorian of Miller County from Eldon High School in 1966 and went on to further his education at the University of Kansas. Roger enlisted in the United States Navy on February 12, 1968, and proudly served as a part of the “SeaBees” during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the National Defense Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star prior to his honorable discharge from active duty on December 17, 1970. Roger remained at reserve status until February 12, 1974.
Roger got involved with The Little Theater helping construct stage sets and props and made many friends through his time there. This is where he met Mary Margaret Rode. After a few productions, Roger decided to invite Mary to a New Year’s Eve party. As the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1989, they shared their first kiss, and their destiny was sealed. After many years of dating, Roger and Mary were united in marriage on November 21, 1997, in Jefferson City, Mo. Mary survives in the home.
Roger was a carpenter at heart, he moved to Jefferson City to begin working for Rajac Construction as a Project Manager and went on to hold positions with Gordon Builders, Mid- America Precast, and even worked in sales at Riley Chevrolet. Roger retired in 2015 as a Safety Manager for Sircal Contracting Company following seven years of service.
Roger was an outdoorsman. In his youth he enjoyed hunting various game including, deer, quail, rabbit, squirrel, and even geese, among other quarries. He loved camping and relished times he was able to be far enough away from the city to enjoy the stars without the intrusion of any ambient light. He and his wife spent much time canoeing and fishing at Binder Lake, Mary’s River, JC Lake, and the Meramec River. Roger was a member of the United Sportsman’s Club and even learned the art of fly fishing.
As much as he loved to remain active and spend time in nature, Roger nurtured his mind even more diligently. He was brilliant. He was a lifelong student of philosophy and scripture, dedicating countless hours to research and discovery of deeper perception and sincere relationship with God. He loved to gather information and understanding from many sources to develop true knowledge of whatever material he was studying. One of his favorite quotes from Socrates was “The uninvestigated life is not worth living.” He lived by these words even in his own travels, making it a point to visit local shops and restaurants to converse with the patrons and learn of the cultural background, local history and the true heart of the people in each destination. Roger was set in his well-researched ways and knowledgeable of many topics because he never lost his passion for learning. He was a man of strong faith and was a devoted member of Living Hope Church.
Survivors include: his loving wife of 25 years, Mary Wood; his son, Bryce Emerson Wood and his wife, Lisa of Jefferson City, Mo.; his siblings, Janice Parker and her husband, James of Overland Park, Ks., Jean Rentfro of Jefferson City, Mo., and Marcia Wood of Overland Park Ks.; and one granddaughter, Kirsten Welschmeyer and her husband, Theodore “Gary”; his niece, Kristina Rentfro; great nephew, Eli Daniel Rentfro; and his cat, Fred Emerson Cat.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother-in-law, Jerry Rentfro; his cat, Kitty Cat and beloved dog, Buddy.
Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Saturday, January 7, 2023, at Freeman Mortuary.
A Celebration of Roger’s life will be conducted at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, January 7, 2023, in the Freeman Chapel with the Reverend Mark Kiekhaefer officiating. Interment with full military honors will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Oak Haven Memorial Gardens, Hermann, Mo.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Operation Smile.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Freeman Mortuary, 915 Madison St, Jefferson City, MO 65101.