Obituary of Alice Rogen

Alice Rogen of Portland, Oregon passed away on December 16, 2020. She was born on June
25, 1920 in Bertha, Minnesota to Martha and Fred Sonnenberg, the third of seven children. In
her senior year of high school the family moved to Valley City, ND. After graduating she
attended the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus, where she received her degree in home
economics. She taught for several years in Jasper, Minnesota and was also active in directing
extracurricular activities. She married Arnold Rogen, a wonderful gentleman and longtime
Jasper area farmer. They had three daughters whom they loved, reared and educated. Alice
was a supportive partner in the farm and was active in the Jasper ELCA church, 4H and
women’s extension club. She and Arnold loved to golf, dance, play bridge and fish. They
retired in 1979 and then spent their winters in Mesa, AZ and summers at their Eagle Lake home
near Willmar, MN. After Arnold died, Alice moved to Willamette View Retirement Community in
Portland, OR near her daughter Betsy and her family. There she continued to embrace life and
for many of those twenty one years was busy serving on committees and boards, gardening and
leading an active social and cultural life.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Edith, Sonnie Dawson and Leora Bishop,
and her brothers, Lester Sonnenberg and Alvin Sonnenberg. She is survived by her daughters,
Molly Hodges of Juneau, AK, Betsy Elliott of Portland, OR and Susan Stewart of Colorado
Springs and her brother Richard Sonnenberg in California, also by her four grandchildren and
eight great-grandchildren.
Because of this year’s isolation practices, memorial services will be in the future. If you wish to
make a memorial, please give to the Willamette View Foundation, 11226 SE 21st Avenue,
Milwaukie, OR 97222, to the Jasper Evangelical Lutheran Church, 101 S. Spicer Avenue,
Jasper, MN 56144 or to the charity of your choice.