Our father made his final flight to heaven on June 12, 2019 at age of 93. He would say, “When fears are grounded, dreams take flight.”
Roger was born on February 17, 1926 in St. Paul, MN to Leo and Ebba (Molin) Cunningham. He lived in St. Paul until 1939 when his family moved to Turtle Lake, ND. He graduated from Turtle Lake High School in 1944. He then enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was trained to fly on B-29 airplanes as part of the bombing crews. This is when his love of aviation began.
Roger returned home to marry his high school sweetheart, Joy Nelson. Using the GI Bill, he attended Minot Teachers College and graduated in 1950. He started his career at Firestone Tire Company in Minot, where he worked for nine years.
In 1959, he moved his family to Garrison, ND, where he owned and operated the very successful Cunningham’s Department Store. His love for the city and promotion of Garrison was one of the highlights of his life there.
He was very active in civic organizations. One of his accomplishments was in the developing and building of the Garrison Airport. He flew his plane to relax and be in the open blue sky. He was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church where he enjoyed singing in the choir. In 1986, he retired and moved to Portland.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Joy, infant children, Michael and Jane, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer.
Surviving Roger are his children: Joyce Ann (Royce) Aslakson of Horace, ND, Mark Cunningham of Hayes, VA, and Beth Lynn (Paul) Lindstrom of Portland, OR; sister, Joyce Anne Dehlin of Mobile, AL. He had six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial can be directed to the Camp of the Cross Ministries, 1228 47th Ave. NW, Garrison, ND 58540