Jeanine Martin of Grand Forks, ND:Information about Roger Duane Terpening
Roger Duane Terpening (b. October 13, 1939, d. 1992)
 | Roger Duane Terpening, 1957 |
Roger Duane Terpening (son of George Marion Terpening and Edrie Ruth Overdick) was born October 13, 1939 in New Rockford, and died 1992.He married (1) Yolonda.He married (2) Joyce Belmear on January 1959 in Altus, Oklahoma.
Notes for Roger Duane Terpening:Written by Eleanor, his sister, in 2005:
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Roger attended Tiffany Rural School in Eddy County and Central School in New Rockford.During his high school years, he lived with Bill and Katherine Allmaras.He entered the Air Force 1957 and served four years.He married Joyce Belmear of Attus, Oklahoma.She was also from a military family.They had two sons, Ricky and James David.They separated and eventually divorced and Roger later moved to Las Vegas where he worked Keno in the casinos.
Joyce initially had the boys for some time.But eventually, Grandparents Marvin and Flo Carver took them.They adopted Ricky, and sent David to New Rockford to live with Edrie Ackermann, his grandmother.David was put on a plane in New York and flew alone at age 7 or 8 to Grand Forks where we picked him up at the airport.David lived with Grandma Edrie until she passed away June 1972.David then was with Fran and Russel Gillis and with Eleanor, Joel's, and when he started high school, he lived with Bruce and Wanda Terpening (his aunt and uncle).He worked construction with Bruce, too. David started college at NDSU but dropped out.Things deteriorated for him from there on.He would come and go and was in treatment for help, too, but with no avail.David eventually died from alcohol poisoning on June 30, 2002.
Roger continued to live in Las Vegas until 1975 or so.in 1976, he returned to New Rockford and lived there for a while.Then he went back to Las Vegas.He returned to ND again in 1981 to visit his son, David who was at the alcoholic treatment center, Heartview, in Mandan, ND.During that time, the counselor asked what family was going to do for Roger, and naturally we said we were going to get him help.
So Roger was also enrolled in Heartview in 1981 and he became a recovering alcoholic.He never returned to drinking and lived in Dickinson, ND and later moved in with Joel and Bobbie Ackerman.Then he moved to Prescott, Arizona, and later returned to Las Vegas and married Yolanda from Lima, Peru.
Roger and Yolanda worked and lived in Las Vegas.Then he became ill and a tumor was discovered in the base of his neck.The tumor was removed.During recovery, he asked for a cup of coffee and his heart went into fibrillation.They "jump-started" his heart and broke his spinal cord and he was paralyzed from the neck down.He was on life support and the doctors said the prognosis for quality of life was poor and recommended "pulling the plug".In about four days, he was tested for use of body and it was possible he might have some upper mobility.But his wife and doctor and all but ME (Eleanor) decided to pull the plug.He died December 18, 1992.A horrible, tragic tragedy.
He was cremated and we have no idea where his ashes are.His military marker is at the Sheyenne, ND, Riverside Cemetery.This is where the Overdick burial plot is and Roger's Grandpa, John Overdick Jr, Grandma Rebekah Overdick,and Mother Edrie (Overdick) Terpening Ackerman are buried.Also buried here is Uncle Bernard Frederick Overdick.Also James David Terpening's memorial plaque is located here.
More About Roger Duane Terpening and Joyce Belmear:
Marriage: January 1959, Altus, Oklahoma.
Children of Roger Duane Terpening and Joyce Belmear are:
- Ricky Layne Terpening, b. September 19, 1959.
- +James David Terpening, b. October 19, 1960, d. June 30, 2002, Alaska.