Roger Awsumb

Roger Leonard Awsumb, age 74, of rural Merrifield, known to generations of Minnesota children as ?Casey Jones?, died Monday, July 15, 2002 at St. Joseph?s Medical Center in Brainerd. Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday, July 18, at the Crosslake Presbyterian Church in Crosslake, Minnesota at 11AM. Friends may visit on Wednesday, July 17, at Brenny Funeral Chapel in Crosslake from 5 - 7 PM. Additional services are planned for Friday, July 19, at Macalester College in St. Paul at 11 AM at the Weyerhauser Chapel. Arrangements are with the Brenny Funeral Chapel in Crosslake.
Roger Awsumb was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on July 10, 1928 to Ardin and Petra Awsumb. He graduated from Central High School in 1946, served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1947, and graduated from Macalester College in 1950. He also graduated from Brown Institute in 1951. He began his broadcasting career in 1948 as an announcer at WBOM at Macalester College in St. Paul, where he later became program director and manager. In 1951 he became announcer and program director at KDLM in Detroit Lakes. He moved to television in 1952, joining WCCO TV as a floor man announcer and director. He took a similar position at WMIN TV in 1953. In 1954 he created the popular ?Casey Jones? character, a railroad engineer who invited children to join him for lunch, skits, songs, and cartoons. The show ran on WMIN and WTCN TV (now KARE TV) until 1973, and came back to television on WFBT TV (now WFCT TV) from 1983 to 1985. In 1984 Awsumb ?retired? to the Brainerd Lakes area, where he joined the staff of KLKS Radio. He worked full time as a broadcaster with KLKS until 1993, and continued part time until his death. Roger was a member of the Crosslake Presbyterian Church. He was named Outstanding Broadcast Personality by the Minnesota Broadcasters Association in 1995 and was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame as a charter member in 2001. He was also recently honored as ?Distinguished Citizen? by Macalester College in St. Paul.

Awsumb is survived by a daughter Nancy (Don) Nelson of Shoreview; two sons Robert (Lisa) Awsumb of St. Paul and John Casey Awsumb of Minneapolis; a stepson Greg (Gwen) Chapman; a sister Doris Forsberg of St. Paul; two brothers Ken (Lois) Awsumb of Bemidji and Ardin W. Awsumb of San Gabriel, CA; seven grandchildren; and special friend Irene Larson. His parents, a daughter Amy, and a granddaughter Lindsay Daniels preceded him in death.

Submitted by: Brenny Funeral Chapel Crosslake, MN 218.692.5051