The community recently lost a unique and special person when Roger Menard died.

I was unable to attend Roger’s service but my thoughts were, and still are, with him.  I think I speak on behalf of many in Barton Village when I say that he will be greatly missed.

His distinctive laugh, hearty and heartfelt, will forever ring in my mind when I think of him.  He always took the time to address me, often he would catch me off guard from across the street or with a playful shout down the aisles of the C&C.  Roger got a kick out of doing that!  From there, we usually picked up on a previous conversation about how people in our lives were doing and such, and at some point in every conversation he most always made me laugh.

I will remember the day that I feared for sure he was going to meet his maker when he spied me at the mini-mart and literally stopped traffic to walk across and present me with a ring and watch that he had been wanting to give to me.  Though I have since learned that I was not the only one to receive a gift of jewelry from him that day, I will cherish mine forever.

I felt a particular closeness to Roger because he knew my family well and because he was the proud uncle of my dear friend Donna; we shared a common love and admiration for my family and his.  I parted every conversation with Roger feeling as though my day had been turned around for the better.  He always ended in saying, “Take care, dear, you know Roger loves you!”

The village streets seem empty without Roger. We never realize how much we take for granted until it is gone.  Roger’s good nature was genuine, uplifting and often humorous, and I am thankful to have known him.