Roger Abell, 61, of Orion, KS, died Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at his home. He was born August 1, 1958, to Robert and Marjorie Abell, and raised on the family farm in Gove County where he remained for most of his life.
He was a 1977 graduate of Grinnell High School, and earned certifications in diesel mechanics from Goodland Vo-Tech. He went on to work for local Co-Ops, and spent a few years on the road with custom cutters, harvesting the Midwest. He retired from the Gove County Road Department in 2019 after several years of road-grading which he especially liked in the remote stretches of the county around the Monument Rocks area.
He got a kick out of ‘educating’ tourists, which mainly included making up (mostly) tall tales of the wild frontiers of western Kansas. He enjoyed tinkering with engines and going to auctions, gun shows, and tractor expos, and the occasional railway tours through the mountains of Colorado. He was a long-time attendee and former board member of the Country Chapel Church outside Oakley, KS.
He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his siblings, Dwight (Rhonda) Abell, of Oakley, KS, Gordon (Stacy) Abell, of Olathe, KS, Cathleen Abell, of Holcomb, KS, and Charlotte Bailey, of Olathe, KS; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Cremation was chosen and no formal service will be held; the family will honor Roger in a private tradition on the ranch. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com