Roger Vollstedt
July 16, 1934 - January 12, 2009

"I've seen Roger only a couple of times since I graduated from Manning in 1957. But I remember how much I liked him when I was growing up. Nobody played harder than he did on the athletic fields, football, basketball, etc. He gave it his all every game. I'm saddened by his loss and send my sympathies to his family."

"Dear Rosie and Family. I am in Texas and just heard tonight about Blackberry. I am so sorry. He was such a good, generous person. The class of `53 is really going to miss him. Please accept my deepest sympathy. Mary Raasch (Mary Lou Foley)"

"Our love and hearts go out to the Vollstedt family. Black was a wonderful man, always ready with a smile and full of good cheer and great energy. As a young aspiring baseball catcher, he was my hero and tutor. The communities and many folks who knew and felt his presence will miss him dearly."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with your entire family. You have our deapest condolences. Black will be dearly missed!"

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"Hi all, I am thinking of you all now in this difficult time. Chad"

"Doug, Sandy, and family, The Graff family would like to express our deepest sympathies upon the death of your father. Curt and I are so thankful for Doug's gift for teaching and leading young children. The Regina community benefits from all the lessons you learned from your father and now share with others. God bless."

"Rosie and family- our hearts go out to you and we celebrate the wonderful life and personality of Black. His hearty laugh and kindness will always be with us. We will see you soon. With love, Jeremy and Elizabeth"

"Rosie and Family, We send our heartfelt sympathy during this time of loss. May faith sustain you and hope encourage you day by day. He will always be remembered in our hearts and prayers!!"

"Kevin and Family, Thinking of all of you in your time of grieving. Brent Messelheiser"

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"Kevin and Amy, Our deepest sympathies, you are in our prayers and in our hearts. Love, Dana, Jessy, and Laney."

"Dearest family of Blackberry, I was saddened to receive word of the sudden loss of Black. Wish I could be with you to celebrate his life and mourn his loss. Visited with Blackberry a couple weeks ago "wearing" his usual smile and all his personality! In retrospect, the visit was much too brief. So many fond memories of Black that I wish I had reminisced with him. Black and Dean were two of my idols. Always treated me like a special little sister. Black's enthusiasm for sports and roller skating ability that I tried to imitate are just a couple of my memories. The Vollstedt home on "Main Street" was the place to meet and pictures to be taken on Children's Days. There was my introduction to "oleo"--the plastic bag of "stuff" and "red ball" that was massaged to give it color! I will forever think of Black when I grocery shop. Imagine my big cousin who let me help him stock shelves on Saturday nights at the grocery store and taught me to look at the tie color on the loaves of bread--color told "age" of the bread and still does 60 years later."Oldest goes on top!" Rosie and you six boys of whom your Dad was so proud, rightly so, Carol and Barb, you were so fortunate to have a husband, Dad, and brother like Black. He will be missed by many! May God give you peace and healing during your time of grief. Love Darlys"

"Kevin and Amy: Kent and I am so sad to hear about your father. We are thinking of you and your family at this difficult time. Sincerely, Julie & Kent Gade"

"Rosie and family, It was our privilege to know Black and all your family members. It was always a pleasure for me if Black would stop for breakfast at Deb's Corner Cafe because he would add humor and wit to the conversation. He was a fun guy and a great American. Manning (and the Hawks) lost a good one. Don Ringgenberg"

"Dear Rosie and family, Joel and I were so saddened to hear of Roger's death. Our sincere sympathy goes out to you and all your family. Roger was such a special friend - we have such great memories. May the Lord wrap His arms around you and bring you peace and comfort during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Joel and Alice"

"Please accept my sincere sympathies for the loss of Mr. Vollstedt. I only know Doug and I wish him and all the family wonderful memories and peace at this difficult time."

"Dear Rosie & Family - Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad time. Coming home Monday night in the truck, I was reminiscing. I thought of the many greetings from Black - the toot of the car horn, the shout from the porch swing "How about those Cubs", the wave from the riding lawn mower, and at Amoco "Where are you going refereeing tonight"; I remembered talking with him about his grandkids; I thought about his one and only laugh that always cheered me up; and I can still see him holding a clipboard keeping stats at our football games when I was in high school. I'm thankful for the time I knew Black and I truly admired him and the life he led. Black left behind a wonderful lady & 6 boys who are the best friends you could ever ask for. May God bless all of you."

"Dear Rosie and Family - You are in my thoughts and prayers. I loved seeing Black and all of you when we are in Iowa. I will miss him. I will be happy to see you again soon. many hugs liz"

"Rosie and family, Our hearts are saddened at the unexpected loss of Black. He always had a smile and hug. He will hold a special place in our hearts forever. Please know all of you are in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless. Jason, Monica (Stangl), Madyln and Natalee Danner"

"Dan,Michelle,Taylor,Nolan,Jace and the entire Vollstedt family---We extend our sincere sympathy to your family during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. He was a very Special Man and will be missed by each of you. He's in a great place now and will have Angels watching over all of you!!!"

"From the directors and staff of German Farmers Mutual: We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to Brad and his family as they deal with the loss of a loved one. God Bless."

"Dan, Michelle, and the entire Volstedt family - I'm so very sorry for your loss. Roger's picture makes me think he was a fun guy : ) My thoughts and prayers are with you."

"Rosie & family, We are so very sorry for your loss. I enjoyed working with Black all those years. some of my best memories include talking with him behind the meat counter after the store had closed for the day. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Curt and Margaret Long"

"Dear Rosie and family....Carol and Barb...... We were so sad to learn of Black's sudden passing. We'll miss seeing him when we visit in Manning and will miss the big hugs and cheerful greeting! What a great cousin he was. I ate lots of suppers at the Vollstedt house on Main while growing up and what a full, happy little kitchen....Black on the back side of the table. There was always room for one more at Uncle Hugo and Aunt Evelyn's house! I have so many good memories! Now I have no one to call me Sobie! That was his name for me forever! Please know that we are grieving with you. You will be in our thoughts and prayers. May God give you the comfort and peace that you need at this time. Much love, Sylvia, Joe and our entire family here in Wisconsin"

"Tuesday evening I received news from my parents that Black had unexpectedly passed away. To be sure, this sudden loss made us pause for a time to think about how our lives have been touched by Black Vollstedt. From the weekly "razzing" that would come from the man behind the meat counter at Thrifty's ( I always wondered how he could spot me tip-toeing through the freezer section) to that die-hard Bulldog fan who never missed a chance to talk to you about your performance in a Friday night ballgame...Blackberry Vollstedt was that man who took a genuine interest in celebrating others. To Rosie and the Vollstedt families: Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to you today and for some time. Eric, Kari, Wade, Jordan, Kjersten and Annika Pingel"

"Our thought and prayers are with you."

"Black was one of a kind and I will miss his hugs and kisses"

"It is with deep sympathy we send our condolences to the Vollstedt family. Jeremy and Sue Kasperbauer and family."

"Dan, Michelle, and the Vollstedt family.Our thought and prayers are with you all during these difficult time"

"On behalf of the parish family of St. Wenceslaus our sincere sympathy at the loss of your husband/father/grandfather. We remember all of you in prayer."

"Aunt Rosie and family words can not say enough on how sorry I am about Uncle Black. He will be missed as a part of our family. At least we know that Grandma V will be waiting for him. I will never forget how when we would come to Manning we would stop by the store and see him behind the meat counter yelling hello to us and very happy we were in town. As a family we will have many good times to remember with him. I am glad that we got to see him in July for your party and August for my wedding."

"To all the family, and to you, Michelle, Dan and children, Dave and I are very saddened to hear the sudden death of your dad. Know that our hearts go out to all of you. Love and prayers, Dave & Vonnie"

"Were so sorry for your loss. Blackie will be missed by everyone who knew him. He was one of a kind and demonstrated a real talent for how to enjoy life! Everyone who knew him will miss his friendliness and laughter. May your memories bring you comfort. Our deepest sympathy to your family."

"Randy and I are thinking of all of you at this time--Black was loved so much by so many,, and that must be why he had so much love to give whenever we saw him--No one was ever left out when Black was around--Sara and Natalie both have very fond memories of their Uncle Black--We will treasure the memories, and the visit your dad and mom made to the Northwest in October!!! God Bless all of you--You all know how much we love each and every one of you!!!"

"Vollstedt Family: Sorry to hear about the loss of Black. There are never enough words to make the pain better, but please know you are all in our thoughts and prayers. We were honored to be Blackie's neighbor and enjoyed yelling hey to each other across the street. He was our neighborhood watch by sitting on the front porch and now he'll be on the porch watching from above. We were blessed to know him!!"

"Rosie and Family: Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family today and always. I know we will miss his honking as he passed Mom and Allen's house and his visit at Christmas time. Our kids said this year he was their wake-up call Sunday morning. We will never forget him. Take care, Brian, Tami, Travis and Brooke Hoeppner"

"Doug, Sandy, and family, We were so sad to hear about the loss of your father. He must have been a tremendous man to raise such a fine son as you, Doug. After losing my father last year, I know what a difficult time this is. No matter the age, we are not prepared to lose someone we love. Your family is in our thoughts and prayers. Todd, Becky, Madison, and Kennedy."

"Black was a wonderful uncle that always had a big smile to go along with a big hug. He always made you feel special, and I will miss him tremendously. He leaves behind a wonderful legacy, His Family. Peace to all of you during this difficult time. All my love, Lori (Spieker) Meyer"

"Dear Rosie and all of the family; I was very saddened to hear of your loss this morning. Blackie will forever hold a special place in my heart. Please know that you and all of the family are in our thoughts and prayers. May God Bless you and be with you and yours during this difficult time. Love and prayers.... Suzanne (Bandow)McClelland and family."

"to dan, michelle,taylor,nolan, jace and entire vollstedt family my deepest sympathies goes out to you all with sudden death of your father. you are all in my thoughts and prayers."

"I am so sorry to hear of Rogers passing. How fortunate I got to see them both at Kim and Spankys house while back over Christmas and New Years. My sympathy to all the family. Marsha Jensen"

"Rosie & family~ My deepest sympathies to all of you at this time of such unexpected sadness. Everyone thought the world of Black and I hope that you are able to take comfort in knowing the effect he had on people. He certainly knew no strangers - that laugh, that hug that said hello, and certainly that slap on the back to let you know Black was thinking of you. I feel blessed to have known him. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all - Neela, Brian, Emily & Cooper Bueltel"

"To the Vollstedt family, I am deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of Uncle Black. Things will not be the same without him. I will miss his bubbly personality, his stong bear hugs and his kisses. He was an amazing man and such a kind soul. You are all in my prayers during this sad time."

"To the Vollstedt Family -- My thoughts and prayers are with all of you at this sad time. God Bless you and help you through the days ahead."

"My thoughts and prayers are with the Vollstedt family. My condolences to your family. God bless you and watch over you. Barb Reilly"

"Doug and family, we all send our sympathy. We are all sorry you are going through such unexpected grief. We are all praying for all of you. 74 is so young. You are all special people. I know, because I have had the pleasure of knowing all of Doug's immediate family. It is not easy, but we know he is with God. Doug's fantastic Dad will be remembered always. Mary Mueller"

"I will have a mass read here at All Saints in Cedar Rapids for Roger. My prayers go out to you and your family. I see you have a son in Iowa City, if you would like I can let him know when the Mass is being read. Margene"

"Sorry for your loss. Praying for friends to comfort you, faith to uphold you, and loving memories to help you smile again. Our deepest Sympathy Terry Hargens"

"To the Vollstedt Family: What great memories I have of Blackberry. He always had a way of making you feel better after talking with him. He was also constantly in an upbeat mood when you were around him. And, what a great supporter of the Bulldogs (back in the day). I'm sure that support continued for the Wolves as well, because Black just cared about kids, and loved to watch them compete. The little things that he said, and did, was what made him so special. May God comfort the entire family, as only He can, at this time of loss. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Todd and Deb Gordon and Family"

"Dearest Rosie and family. We were very sad to hear about Black. What a wonderful guy he was to everyone!!!! I will miss my greeting hugs and kisses that he gave me each and every time we met. We will miss him so much. You have our deepest sympathy."

"Aunt Rosie, all of my cousins, and the entire Vollstedt family I want to extend my most sincere condolences and sympathies. Black was such a great uncle, great man, and will always be one of my favorites. One of the highlights of coming to Manning was visiting him at the grocery store. It makes me smile every time I think about those walks uptown just to go there. It always makes me giggle to think of him because everyone became happier when he entered a room. Black had that effect on people. He never forgot to say hello and speak with everyone. I can't say I've met a more friendly man in my life. I pray time will lessen your pain and let only the fond memories remain."

"Rosie and Family, I am so sorry for your loss. Uncle Black was such a wonderful man. He was always smiling, and just 1 month ago I was in Manning, and he was still trying to convince me of how great red beer was! Some of my favorite Manning memories are of being able to visit him at the store, and he would always stop what he was doing as if I was the most important thing in the world at that time. He had that special gift with people. He is loved by so many, and his time with us too short. My love and prayers to all of you in this very difficult time. He will be missed, but always in our thoughts."

"To the Vollstedt family, My sincere condolences to all of you. Black was very special to all who were fortunate enough to know him, and was certainly very special to me. He was always glad to see me, and always made me laugh; I always looked forward to seeing him when visiting there. He went about his daily affairs with a great sense of humor and lightheartedness. He possessed a tremendous work ethic. He was charitable and kind. He never treated anyone like a stranger. Black cherished his relationships with others. He made me feel like I was his favorite nephew, and Ill bet that most of the nephews and nieces of my vintage felt like they, too, were Blacks favorite; the relationships he created had that kind of effect on many people. Knowing him had a great positive impact on my life, and I cherish my memories of him. This is no doubt a difficult time for you, and I hope that time will help heal the sense of loss and pain. Please take comfort in knowing that he was much loved by many, and will be missed. -David"

"BLACK WAS ONE OF THE NICEST GUYS IN MANNING--I'M SURE THERE MUST BE QUIT A PARTY GOING ON IN HEAVEN--I'M GLAD I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF KNOWING HIM AND MY KIDS GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM WHEN HELPING UNCLE MERLIN--ALSO HE WAS SO VERY SUPPORTIVE THE THE BULLDOGS --MARY ROHE & family"