Roger Lewis Claus was born on January 12, 1938 in Capps City, Arkansas to the Reverend and Mrs. W. E. Claus and unexpectedly departed from his earthly family in the early morning hours of August 4, 2024 to join our Lord and Savior and his Heavenly Family.

When Roger was a small child, his family made their home in Rodessa, Louisiana where his father worked for a refinery gas company. He learned many things from his father that he would later apply in life and also learned the early stories of his grandparents fleeing from Germany by paddling out into the ocean in a small boat with 2 children and only the clothes they had on them at the time. They were picked up way into the ocean by a large freight ship and brought to the United States. He also learned the gift of storytelling from his father and the inherent pride of his hard work to provide a better life for the family that he loved so much. Family was everything to Roger.

Roger attended grade schools in Rodessa, Louisiana and in Atlanta, Texas. He graduated from Atlanta, Texas High School on the 22nd day of May, 1956. He also earned an Associate's Degree in Business Management and Accounting from Texarkana Community College in Texarkana, Texas.

Roger served in the Army for 2 years stationed in Fort Polk Louisiana, and served in the Texas National Guard Reserves for 13 years as 2nd Lieutenant after having taken special training in Fort Benning Georgia. He worked for Southwestern Electric Power Company ("SWEPCO") in Texarkana completing numerous electrical education courses while in their employment. Roger then worked for Day & Zimmermann, Inc. ("D&Z"), in Hooks, Texas, a government owned, contractor operated defense plant that manufactured ammunition to support our various Armed Services, working in the Accounting and Shipping Department of the Stores Division for D&Z.

In 1973 Roger met his soulmate and the love of his life, Carol, and they were married in 1974. Shortly after their marriage in 1974, Roger was recruited by Leggett & Platt to work for them to operate a business which Leggett had in rural east Texas. His management skills at this company soon caught the eye of the Southwest Division Director who transferred him and his family to Ennis, Texas where he was the Operations & Plant Manager of the sleeper manufacturing plant in Ennis for 7 years. It was noted that his plant was the only plant in the Southwest Division that made its budget annually, thanks to his management skills with people and his business acumen. Roger then worked for Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Company in the Ennis office as an Agent where he worked for just short of 30 years. His love of people and his ability to communicate with and help people with their insurance needs earned him the respect of many and upon retirement he received a letter from the home office in Jackson, Mississippi stating that in all of his years of employment with Texas Farm Bureau, he had a 98% retention rate of all of the insurance he had written over the years for his clients. He tried to treat all of his clients with respect and tried to treat them in the same manner he would like to be treated, going above and beyond to service their accounts and they knew that they could call him at any time, day or night for his help.

Having been raised by a devout Baptist pastor and his wife, Roger's faith was instilled in him at an early age and it remained to his death. He was a Deacon at Anthony Drive Baptist Church.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, the Reverend Walter E. Claus and Grace Mary Claus; his sister Lila Lee Roberson, and his sister, Lola Bea Pace. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Carol. He also leaves to cherish his memory his beloved daughter Lisa Mannion and her husband, Kevin, his beloved daughter, Lori Hanson and her husband, Chris, and his beloved son, Michael Kirby and his wife, Melanie. Roger had the following grandchildren: Lauren Montgomery and husband Chase, Matt Mannion, Madeline Thomas, Elizabeth Thomas, Rachel Thomas and Mark Ryan Thomas, Jordyn Robbins and her husband Caine, Holt Hanson and Peyton Smart. He also had four great-grandchildren: Bentley and Easton Robbins, Quinn and Wyatt Montgomery.

The family will host an open visitation at the J. E. Keever Mortuary, 408 North Dallas Street in Ennis on Friday evening, August 9, 2024 from 6-8 p.m. in the Mortuary Chapel. A Celebration of Life will be officiated by Reverend Jerry Fulton on Saturday August 10, 2024 at 10 a.m. in the J. E. Keever Mortuary Chapel followed by interment at Denison Cemetery in Idabel, Oklahoma on Monday, August 12, 2024 at 10 a.m. under the direction of J. E. Keever Mortuary, Inc. In honor of Roger's wishes, please feel free to dress casually for his visitation service.

Honorary pallbearers for the service are: His grandsons, Matt Mannion, Chase Montgomery, Mark Thomas, Caine Robbins and his long-time friends, Tony Sinclair, Bruce Lattimer, and Larry Colquitt.