Roger A. Ewing

Roger A. Ewing, 80, of Clarion and formerly of Britt, passed away on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at MercyOne Medical Center - North Iowa, in Mason City. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at 10:30 AM, on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 139 3rd Street Southeast, in Britt, with Father Paulraj Sellam and Deacon Dr. Michael Whitters officiating. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Britt. There will be two times of visitation for Roger Ewing. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 6:00 PM on Monday, November 10, 2025, at Ewing Funeral Chapel, 178 Center Street West, in Britt, with a Knights of Columbus Rosary service beginning at 4:00 PM. Visitation will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 PM on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East, in Clarion, with a Scriptural Wake Service beginning at 3:00 PM. Roger Anthony was born March 1, 1945, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to William and Dorothy (Conley) Ewing. He was raised in Duncombe, Iowa, alongside four sisters and two brothers. He graduated from Webster City High School, and attended community college, as he was able. Roger was drafted into the United States Arm...[more]

View Full Online Obituary and Tributes

serving with the 101st Airborne Division in both Berlin, Germany and Phu Bai, Vietnam, from 1967 - 1969. He was honorably discharged and returned to Iowa on July 20, 1969, the day of the moon landing. Roger was united in marriage to Rickee Jo Ricketts on July 26, 1968. The couple raised two sons, Christopher and Michael. Following his military service, Roger continued his education at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His first job as a licensed funeral director was at Powers Funeral Home in Pocahontas and Rolfe, Iowa. The young family moved to Britt, Iowa in 1977, serving the communities of Britt and Kanawha, Iowa at Carter Funeral Home. Roger acquired the business shortly thereafter, and Ewing Funeral Home and Monument Company was founded. Over the years, acquisitions included funeral homes in the communities of Belmond, Clarion, Dows, and Latimer, Iowa. He retired in 2005 for a short time, before formally retiring from day-to-day funeral service in 2014. Anyone who knows Roger knows he's been continuing to help work funerals and visitations as his health allowed, and more than anything, loved spending time with the staff of Ewing Funeral Home, where he viewed himself as mentor and teacher, sharing his wisdom and experience with younger funeral directors for decades. Roger was humbled to serve the living while caring for the dead, his life's calling, and was proud to care for as many as four generations of many families; the greatest compliment a funeral director can receive is a second opportunity to serve the same family. Roger was a lifelong Roman Catholic, faithful especially to his beloved St. Patrick's Catholic Church Parish and parish family, maintaining his membership at St. Pat's despite having lived both full and part time at Lake Cornelia in Clarion for 20 years. He and Rickee worshipped with his second parish family at St. John Catholic Church in Clarion when at the lake. Roger was a charter member of the Knights of Columbus Council in Britt; served on a variety of committees in a number of capacities over the years at St. Pat's. More recently, Roger and Rickee were content to serve their fellow parishioners with their deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin and her Rosary. Roger enjoyed a variety of hobbies over the years, which waxed and waned from time to time, including his love of nature photography; American sports cars, most notably Corvettes; volunteering with state and county conservation efforts, including tracking the area bald eagle populations; and reminding everyone how many days, weeks or months there were until Christmas. Both Roger and Rickee have been tireless advocates for education, whether formal or informal, as he often credited his conscription into the Army as the defining moment of his life, not only because of what he experienced in Vietnam, but because the G.I. Bill changed the course of his entire family's destiny. Roger's family, friends and colleagues have repeatedly used the words "kind" and "a great guy" to describe him, which would make him squirm. He preached humility and took great pride in doing charitable things outside of the public eye, sharing his time, talent and resources quietly with several generations of friends and strangers, alike. Roger is survived by his wife, Rickee Jo Ewing, of Clarion; his sons, Dr. Christopher (Rebecca) Ewing of Frankfurt, Germany and Michael Ewing of Ames, Iowa; his grandsons, Corrigan Ewing and Caelan Ewing, both of Frankfurt; his sisters, Rita Griggs of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Joan Iverson of Webster City, Iowa, and Teresa (Doug) Vratny of Fort Dodge; his brother, Bruce (Kathy) Ewing of Big Bear Lake, California; his sister-in-law, Joanne Ewing; along with a host of nieces, nephews, other extended family members and friends. Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Dorothy Ewing; his sister, Veronica Averill; his brother, Lyle Ewing; his brothers-in-law, James Averill, Charles Griggs, and Richard Iverson; his nephews Rick Wiemann and Mike Turk; and great-nieces, Shannon Anderson and Emily Joy Averill; as well as his special bonus mother, Betty Anderson. May Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them. Every Little Bit Counts What Else Could Go Right?