Roger Kenton Sweet, 82 of Cabool, MO passed away on November 23, 2021 at his home. He was born at home on June 10,1939, in Pueblo, CO to Murl and Leona Sweet. He was raised in Colorado on a working cattle ranch. He quit school in the 10th grade to start working. Most of his early work involved ranching. Roger worked & hauled cattle, broke horses, and did farming. Roger developed a strong work ethic, that he used to do many different jobs, with a wide variety of work. Aside from ranching, Roger worked in and managed service stations; he performed auto repair & tire service, he built pistons for automobiles; he built mobile homes and yachts; he mined in South Dakota; he worked for a pole yard and lumber mill; he ran bulldozers and backhoes; and all of that, is just to name a few. It is fair to say that he didn’t back down from a hard day’s work, and he said he “learned a lot and done it all when he was able.”
Roger married Carolyn Ann Welch on April 26,1956, when he was only 17 years old. The couple was married for 47 years at the time of Carolyn’s passing. Together they had 3 children, son, Roger Kenton, Jr, also known as Rocky; 2 daughters, Tammy Lynn & Faye Ann; one adopted daughter, Christy Ann who they raised and loved as their own; 9 grandchildren, Karla, Stacie, Roger Brandon, Brittnee, Ty, Robbie, Michael “Bud”, Brandi Faye and Kenton; several great grandchildren; 2 sisters, Patty and Marcia and a host of other family members and friends.
Roger moved his family to Cabool, Missouri in 1967. He built his own house while working at a lumber mill. He later ran the trucking garage, which was just down the road from his house. His hard work led him to become an entrepreneur. He owned several businesses including a canoe factory called Sweet Canoes, a welding shop, and a trucking company called Sweet Trucking. Roger believed in working hard and giving it your all. In his own words Roger said, “I can honestly say that I have always worked hard and gave it the best I knew how.” He taught his family if you are going to do something, do it right. He said that “a man’s word and the quality of his work determined what he was made of.” There was nothing that he couldn’t fix and if he did not know how to do something, he would work at it until he figured it out. He was a deep thinker, and he was always pondering how to create new things, or how to make existing things work better or more efficiently. Roger designed and built the first working
hydraulic cattle chute. He also designed a motor that ran on air, long before the hybrid cars were ever invented.
Aside from working, Roger enjoyed stock car racing. He was injured during a race, when his car flipped and rolled. The battery flew out of his car and hit him in the back of the head. This accident broke Roger’s neck and he was in contraption for several months, leaving him unable to move. Doctors said he would never walk again, but Roger and God had another plan. Roger used his strong will and determination to prove the medical professionals wrong. This life event was just one of the factors that reinforced to Roger that you can do anything you set your mind to do. The Cabool Community rallied and showed the Sweet’s love and support during Roger’s recovery. Roger fully understood the value of a neighbor helping a neighbor.
Roger inspired his family to do their best. It was his desire to see them all happy and successful. He also wanted all his family and friends to come to know the Lord, which he did at the age of 7. Roger loved God and his church home at Westside Family Life Center. He loved this country and showed his dedication by serving as a Marine. His last name of Sweet was fitting because he was a sweet person. He had a calm, patient, and kind demeanor. He was thoughtful, considerate, and self-sacrificing. He was often quiet and was not a man of many words. When he did speak, his words had value and purpose. He left these words and requests behind in a hand-written note:
- First step, Keep God as your guide. Without Him, none of my hopes and
prayers for you can come true. - Do not let anything break up this family. Be there for each other and work
together to help each other to get Heaven bound. Don’t let any members
of our family end up in the pit of hell, do all You can to prevent this please! - Do yourself proud and be someone to be admired for what you stand for.
The IMPACT of Roger’s work here on earth is immeasurable. Some of his greatest work has been to mold us and influence us into becoming what we should be. That kind of work has NO end and has no price tag. The Bible says “Whatever you do, work heartily, AS FOR THE LORD and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Roger worked AS FOR THE LORD, so now he is receiving the inheritance & Heaven
as HIS REWARD.
