Page Three of the 1938 Flathead County High School yearbook has a memorial to Roger:
Roger Sherman
"A little consideration of what takes place around us every day would show us that a higher law than that of our will regulates events; that our painful labors are very unnecessary and altogether fruitless; that only in our easy, simple, spontaneous action are we strong, and by contenting ourselves with obedience we become divine."
It seems that Emerson actually was speaking those words to me when it was learned that this untimely death had visited our community. But no. They were written long ago. And similar words will come from the pen of other great men and thinkers in the ages not yet unfolded. Which all goes to teach us that there are certain fundamental laws that it is not well for us to understand. It is intended that we should not understand.
Roger has been stricken down before his work had begun. We who loved him liked to call him "Roddy". To us he exemplified the very best in American boyhood. This chap was unusual. He was different. Roddy was not a typical boy. He was the sort of lad who grows up and goes on to make the history of great nations. His smile: well, it made no difference whether he was poised on the rail of the Kee-o-mee for a dive into the deeper waters of Flathead lake, whether he was running errands for his mother, whether he was going about his business; it made no difference where you found Roddy, he had a smile and a personality that drove directly to your heart. Lovable and loved; kind, considerate, courteous, industrious, ambitious and intelligent to a superior degree, this lad had been the idol by which we had hoped to bring our own son along in the world. Our idol is gone, but we cannot forget those very desirable qualities.
- Ory J. Armstrong
State Com., American Legion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roger Sherman
"A little consideration of what takes place around us every day would show us that a higher law than that of our will regulates events; that our painful labors are very unnecessary and altogether fruitless; that only in our easy, simple, spontaneous action are we strong, and by contenting ourselves with obedience we become divine."
It seems that Emerson actually was speaking those words to me when it was learned that this untimely death had visited our community. But no. They were written long ago. And similar words will come from the pen of other great men and thinkers in the ages not yet unfolded. Which all goes to teach us that there are certain fundamental laws that it is not well for us to understand. It is intended that we should not understand.
Roger has been stricken down before his work had begun. We who loved him liked to call him "Roddy". To us he exemplified the very best in American boyhood. This chap was unusual. He was different. Roddy was not a typical boy. He was the sort of lad who grows up and goes on to make the history of great nations. His smile: well, it made no difference whether he was poised on the rail of the Kee-o-mee for a dive into the deeper waters of Flathead lake, whether he was running errands for his mother, whether he was going about his business; it made no difference where you found Roddy, he had a smile and a personality that drove directly to your heart. Lovable and loved; kind, considerate, courteous, industrious, ambitious and intelligent to a superior degree, this lad had been the idol by which we had hoped to bring our own son along in the world. Our idol is gone, but we cannot forget those very desirable qualities.
- Ory J. Armstrong
State Com., American Legion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page Three of the 1938 Flathead County High School yearbook has a memorial to Roger:
Roger Sherman
"A little consideration of what takes place around us every day would show us that a higher law than that of our will regulates events; that our painful labors are very unnecessary and altogether fruitless; that only in our easy, simple, spontaneous action are we strong, and by contenting ourselves with obedience we become divine."
It seems that Emerson actually was speaking those words to me when it was learned that this untimely death had visited our community. But no. They were written long ago. And similar words will come from the pen of other great men and thinkers in the ages not yet unfolded. Which all goes to teach us that there are certain fundamental laws that it is not well for us to understand. It is intended that we should not understand.
Roger has been stricken down before his work had begun. We who loved him liked to call him "Roddy". To us he exemplified the very best in American boyhood. This chap was unusual. He was different. Roddy was not a typical boy. He was the sort of lad who grows up and goes on to make the history of great nations. His smile: well, it made no difference whether he was poised on the rail of the Kee-o-mee for a dive into the deeper waters of Flathead lake, whether he was running errands for his mother, whether he was going about his business; it made no difference where you found Roddy, he had a smile and a personality that drove directly to your heart. Lovable and loved; kind, considerate, courteous, industrious, ambitious and intelligent to a superior degree, this lad had been the idol by which we had hoped to bring our own son along in the world. Our idol is gone, but we cannot forget those very desirable qualities.
- Ory J. Armstrong
State Com., American Legion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roger Sherman
"A little consideration of what takes place around us every day would show us that a higher law than that of our will regulates events; that our painful labors are very unnecessary and altogether fruitless; that only in our easy, simple, spontaneous action are we strong, and by contenting ourselves with obedience we become divine."
It seems that Emerson actually was speaking those words to me when it was learned that this untimely death had visited our community. But no. They were written long ago. And similar words will come from the pen of other great men and thinkers in the ages not yet unfolded. Which all goes to teach us that there are certain fundamental laws that it is not well for us to understand. It is intended that we should not understand.
Roger has been stricken down before his work had begun. We who loved him liked to call him "Roddy". To us he exemplified the very best in American boyhood. This chap was unusual. He was different. Roddy was not a typical boy. He was the sort of lad who grows up and goes on to make the history of great nations. His smile: well, it made no difference whether he was poised on the rail of the Kee-o-mee for a dive into the deeper waters of Flathead lake, whether he was running errands for his mother, whether he was going about his business; it made no difference where you found Roddy, he had a smile and a personality that drove directly to your heart. Lovable and loved; kind, considerate, courteous, industrious, ambitious and intelligent to a superior degree, this lad had been the idol by which we had hoped to bring our own son along in the world. Our idol is gone, but we cannot forget those very desirable qualities.
- Ory J. Armstrong
State Com., American Legion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
