On Thursday, September 17th, 2020, Roger Makela regrettably missed his morning tee time and instead joined one of the Lord's foursomes.  Roger was a man of all sports seasons and even on his last day he played 27 holes of golf.

Roger grew up in a large farm family and attended school in Menagha, MN. Following high school, he planned on becoming a cowboy in South Dakota but later became known as a skillful heavy machine operator. He served in the U.S. Army during the Cuban Crisis.

During his young adult life, he honed his baseball skills to the point of being offered a contract from the New York Yankees. In 1973, he purchased a hardware store in Cook, MN where he had a "Mr. Fixit" mentality and tried to help everyone. After 24 years in the hardware world, he spent the rest of his career surrounded by golf, working at Wolfridge Golf Course and the Wilderness at Fortune Bay.

Roger was the ultimate Minnesota sports fan and rarely missed a game.  He also believed in paying it forward.  He touched many lives by volunteer coaching in youth hockey, baseball, and golf.  He coached numerous golfers at the state level.  Most recently, he assistant coached the North Woods Girls Golf team at the yearly state tournament.

His biggest treasure was his grandkids whom he traveled with extensively.  He was well-known for Mystery trips.  The first one started at the statue of St. Urho and the last one ended at Mount Rushmore.  He coached or supported them in everything they did. He was their first phone call after any event!

Roger is survived by his wife, Sylvia; daughter Kandi (Todd); grandchildren Tate, Nicole, Victoria; sister and brothers, Marian, Randy, and Dave and numerous other relatives and friends.  He also treasured his many golf buddies.  His radiant smile and contagious laughter will never be forgotten. Roger will be interred at the Minnesota Veteran's Cemetery near Duluth, MN. There will be a Celebration of Roger's Life held on Saturday, October 10, 2020 from 1-3PM at the Wolfridge Golf Course, 8501 Savage Road, Angora, MN 55703. To leave an online condolence visit www.mlakerfuneralhome.com