Roger R. Edwards

June 3, 1940 - February 27, 2015

Roger R. Edwards, 74, a Moses Lake resident since 1974, joined his Heavenly Father on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. A celebration of Roger's life will be held on Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m. at the Moses Lake Elks Lodge, 814 N. Stratford Road. Please sign the online guestbook or leave a note for the family at www.kayserchapel.com. Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel & Crematory.

Born on June 3, 1940 to Robert Andrew Edwards and Francis Alberta Thompson in Ellensburg Wash., he was the fourth-born of five siblings: Bob Edwards, Francis Mundy, Doreen McKee, and Dorothy Turner. Roger graduated from Ellensburg High School in June of 1959 and then joined the US Navy in August of 1959 and was a Navy Corpsman Medic. He was honorably discharged in August of 1963 and moved home to Ellensburg to ranch with his dad and brother, where he met the love of his life, Gaynor Lynn Gamble of Kittitas. They were married April 15, 1967 in Ellensburg and would have celebrated their 48th anniversary in 2015. In 1969 while still living on the ranch in Ellensburg, they had Stacey Jo and then moved to Moscow, Idaho where Kelly Irene was born in 1971. Roger worked at the WSU Veterinary Science Pathology Research Department prior to moving to Royal City in 1972 where he worked for Sax Fleming Feedlot.

Roger and Gaynor moved their family to Moses Lake in 1974. They established a well-known reputation for boarding and training horses and held many social activities at their arena. Family and friends joined them in team roping, cow cutting, horse training clinics, dog trials, musical jam sessions, card games and lots of coffee.

Roger became a livestock brand inspector in 1975 where he enjoyed traveling, meeting new people and making lifetime friends everywhere he went. He retired from that job in 2003 after 28 years.

His love of livestock and the cowboy way allowed him to share his abilities as a mentor and trainer of horses and dogs. His time was devoted to guiding anyone willing to learn. He had advice whether you asked for it or not.

Roger loved the rodeo lifestyle and encouraged his kids and their friends to be involved with rodeo by supplying horses to ride, facilitating opportunities to participate, showing patience while practicing, and sharing his time and skills.

He loved music in all venues from dancing, singing, playing guitar or just listening to the old country station while working or playing. He had a beautiful Irish Tenor voice that he shared by singing at weddings and funerals.

Roger was known for being endearing, precocious in nature, with a smile like the proverbial cat who ate the canary. He led and lived by example. He didn't allow negative talk. He had a love of sports, was competitive and loved to play; everything was a game or a joke. He never met a stranger and made sure to make others feel better about themselves. Nothing intimidated him and he loved a challenge.

He loved a good game of cribbage and the challenge of being the champ or the chump. Pinochle games were a common pastime in their household.

He did dishes, ironed clothes, cooked, cleaned house, built fence, rode horses, trained dogs and kids. He set a really high bar for any man to step into his girls' lives and was proud of the men they married... but told the sons-in-law to "keep working at it."

He always set the bar high and once obtained, he'd raise it again. His expectations were high and he pushed all those around him to strive for better.

The concept of "Can't" wasn't allowed and he always encouraged his kids to strive for their dreams. His passion for life was contagious and his smile was infectious. His wink could always make Gaynor's face turn red. He wanted it said at the end that "he did it his way" as long as Gaynor said it was okay.

Roger is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Gaynor; two daughters, Stacey Jo (Kevin) Dowton of Moses Lake and Kelly (Aaron) Raap of Ephrata. An honorable son, Jon (Janae) Gamble. He and Gaynor at different periods of time, shared their home and their love with others such as Amy (Renner) York of Rock Island and considered them as family. He is also survived by four grandchildren: Bailey Jo Heath, Cooper Raap, Julianne and Jay Gamble.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you would "take the time" to help a kid succeed.