Richard Cornelius Roland (1917 - 2006)

Born 26 Dec 1917 in Elkhart, Elkhart, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Sep 2006 at age 88 in Harlingen, Cameron, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ron Rowland [send private message]

Biography

Richard was born in 1917. He was the son of Virgil Roland and Lillie Cornelius.

Lt Col, United States Army, World War II, retired 1977

Inventor of the Roto-Devil

Marriages

He married Joyce Gregory in 1941. Children:

1. Richard Cornelius, Jr. was born in 1942
2. Gregory Lee was born in 1947

He married Dora Lamon on May 1, 1953, and their children:

1. Susan 1955 ^[1]
2. Steven Grant 1956 ^[2]
3. Larry Dean 1957 ^[3]

He passed away in 2006. ^{[4] [5]}

From his Find A Grave: Memorial #64452591:

Richard (Dick) Cornelius Roland, age 88, died in Harlingen on Sept. 1, 2006. Dick was a loving father and husband. He had a gregarious personality and a generous heart. He was a Christian and a member of the Methodist church since childhood.

He was born on 26 Dec. 1917, in Elkhart, Indiana. His parents were Virgil and Lillie (Cornelius) Roland. He had a younger sister, Helen Marie. He attended school through the 8th grade in Elkhart, then moved with his family to to La Feria, Texas, where he graduated from high school in 1935.

Dick was an Aggie. He graduated from Texas A & M University in College Station, with honors in 1939. While at A&M, he majored in horticulture with a minor in entomology. He was a member of the Corp and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army at graduation.

On 15 Nov. 1941, he went on active duty at Ft. Barkley in Abilene, Texas. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in six months and Captain six months later. He joined the 339th Infantry Regiment of the 85th Infantry "Custer" Division in 1942. On December 24, 1943, they boarded the USS General Alexander E. Anderson to travel to Casa Blanca, Africa. The Division then traveled to Naples, Italy, arriving there on March 14, 1944. Their Division fought the enemy to northern Italy, liberating Rome in the process.

After the war, Dick returned to La Feria. He continued his affiliation with the Army in the Reserve Service, was promoted to Lt. Col., and retired from the military in 1977.

He taught agriculture courses to Veterans for several years and farmed citrus orchards and row crops. In 1966 he started R & S Fruit Co. which shipped fruit to Future Farmers of America (FFA) and other student organizations mostly in Texas. They would sell the fruit as a fund-raiser. During his years working with the FFA, he was awarded that organization's highest award, the Award for Outstanding Service.

Dick married Joyce Gregory in 1941. Their son Richard Cornelius, Jr. was born in 1942, and son Gregory Lee was born in 1947. He married Dora Lamon on May 1, 1953, and their children, Susan, Steven Grant, and Larry Dean were born in 1955, 1956, and 1957.

Always active, he loved to experiment and build things. He invented and obtained a patent for a farm implement used to disk under citrus trees. He called it a "Roto-devil." He was a long-time member of the Elks Lodge in Harlingen and had been a member of Life Begins at 40. Dick and Dora spent many of their retirement years enjoying their vacation home on South Padre Island. They loved to travel, play golf and cards and fish.

Dick was preceded in death by his mother and father and sister. He is survived by his loving wife; his children, Richard (Martha), Gregory (Sandy), Susan Francis (Kavanaugh), Steven (Jenny), and Larry (Melissa); grandchildren, Cherri Broussard (Russell), Kelly Tasker (Martin), Todd Roland, Erin Roland, Steven Roland, Madeline Francis, and Will Roland; and great grandchildren, Teysha Murray and Gash Murray; niece Billie (Ray) Parris and other nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers the family would prefer that donations be made to the First United Methodist Church of Harlingen, 321 E. Harrison, Harlingen, Texas 78552, or the First United Methodist Church of La Feria, 331 Main Street, La Feria, Texas 78559.

Sources

1. ↑ "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V86L-6BB : 5 December 2014), Richard Cornelius Roland in entry for Susan Roland, 12 Mar 1955; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
2. ↑ "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V8XD-4LV : 1 January 2015), Richard C Roland in entry for Steven Grant Roland, 20 Oct 1956; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
3. ↑ "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V8XP-G2D : 5 December 2014), Richard Cornelius Roland in entry for Larry Dean Roland, 30 Sep 1957; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #64452591
5. ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKKR-6S1T : accessed 21 January 2021), Richard Cornelius Or Dick Roland in entry for Dora Roland, Harlingen, Texas, United States, 10 Jan 2009; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Valley Morning Star, born-digital text.