My name is Mary Lee Rogness; I was born in Iowa City Iowa. I am looking for information on my father who died when I was 2 years old.
His name is Robert Roy Rogness, the groom in the above picture, born 02/15/1927, died 11/22/1963. He died of a Glioblastoma Brain Tumor , mostly because of his stubbornness and not going to the Doctor , even though he had headaches so bad he ate bottles of aspirin a day.  One day he screamed out from the pain and fell from the top of his Semi Truck where he had been cleaning ice off.  My mother called the ambulance, this is when they found the tumor.

He married my Mother in 1957 in Iowa City Iowa.  I am getting conflicting information as to what his parents names are. He would not talk about his side of the family to my mother. He would get mad and change the subject, every time she brought it up. He would only say he was born in Gold Stone Montana and his mothers name was Rose. I ordered a birth certificate from Montana, and there was not one on file. I also ordered a birth certificate from Michigan and there was not one there either. He applied for his Social Security Card in Rugby North Dakota on May 25,1954.

On his Social Security SS5 application it says:
He was born Big Rapids Michigan
Father: Robert John Rogness
Mother: Alice McKinzie
DOB 02/15/1927

On his and my Mothers marriage certificate it says:
He was born Gold Stone Montana
Father: Gulleck Sven Rogness
Mother: Rose Swenson
DOB 02/15/1927

My mother met my father in 1956 , they went to the First Church of the Nazarene. They were married up until he died in 1963. He left my mother with 3 kids , 2,4, and 6 years old, and 8 months pregnant with a fourth. My youngest brother was born 2 weeks after our dad died.

 

We drew death benefits from that SS# , so I know it is the correct one. We lived at 1205 S. Riverside Drive, Iowa City Iowa, up until he got to sick to work. Then we moved to 603 1st avenue, Iowa City Iowa. He was there 2 months then had to be put in a nursing home, until he died. He died the same day as Kennedy was assassinated.

In July 1958 he told my Mom that they were going to move, they loaded up the truck and drove to Caldwell Idaho. My mother remembers that he cried on the way there. Taking my oldest brother who was 11 months old , they stayed in a Motel for a week. He left my mother and brother  in the motel and was gone everyday for 8-10 hours.  

I have been told (by my uncle of course), that he bought and sold guns. 

 

he also told me this story:
My Dad and my grandfather were in a bar. After my dad left ,a guy came up to my grandfather and told him "I knew Bob, when he lived
in California and had 4 kids.

My uncle also used to ride with my dad in the moving van  (TransAmerican Van Service), my dad
was always looking for a place that had Western Union services. Also , when my father was in the hospital with the brain tumor that killed him, some lady
called our house looking for him, several times.

I do not know any of his family. If he has brothers or sisters. Where he went to school. My father used to write to the Government allot. My uncle was at our house one day when he got a reply from the White house. To a letter he had written, saying "So and So" was worse than Hoffa". My uncle could not remember the So and so's name.