John Robert Pagenhart

John Robert Pagenhart, age 68, of Rochester passed away on Friday, April 2nd, 2021 at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester from colon cancer. John was born April 12, 1952 in Rochester the son of Robert and Anna (Eide) Pagenhart. He was baptized and confirmed at Christ United Methodist Church. He lost his father when he was 5 years old but was cherished by his grandparents, Clarence and Golden (Alexander) Pagenhart. He made many childhood memories at their Oronoco farm with his sister Nancy and brother Chuck. John developed a fondness for the outdoors there. He was in Scouting for many years. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1970. After high school, he joined the United States Air Force. and was Honorably Discharged in 1977. On May 22, 1982 John married Rosemerry (Rucker) at Christ United Methodist Church. They were married for 37 years before Rosemerry's passing in May 2019. Together they raised their adoptive son, Cody, and provided foster care through PATH for 15 years. They loved caring for their granddaughters, which have truly been the light of their lives. They also spent a lot of time caring for their many nieces and nephews. Their home was the hub for many family gatherings. John learned to make his mother's potato salad and enjoyed grilling and smoking meats for his extended family. In addition to spending time with family, John enjoyed camping at the lake, traveling, going on cruises, wintering in Arizona, playing bingo at the casino, and watching the Minnesota Twins, football, and NASCAR. Since John's grandfather was a General Contractor, John was influenced by him and went on to work as an equipment operator doing excavation and grading. He worked for Fraser Construction, SL Contractors, and owned his own company - Pagenhart Contracting. John and Rosemerry also ran a greenhouse for several years. John is survived by his son, Cody Pagenhart, of Rochester, MN; granddaughters Sophia, Payton, and Elizabeth; sister Nancy (Bernie) Gross of Fridley, MN; Mother-in-law Genevieve Rucker of Buckeye, AZ; many brother and sister-in-law's; and an abundance of beloved nieces, nephews, friends, and extended family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemerry; his parents, Robert and Anna (Eide) Pagenhart; his brother Charles Pagenhart; sister-in-law Iris (Schartau) Pagenhart; father-in-law Ralph Rucker; brother-in-law Bruce Rucker; and sister-in-law Catherine (Rucker) Schulz. A casual gathering lunch will be held on June 12th from 11 AM to 3 PM. Please come celebrate John's life and share some stories at the Pagenhart family home: 4322 Maple ST SE 55904.