Roger Belden (88) was born in Avenal, California to Irving and Mabel Belden.  Roger’s father worked for Standard Oil in the Kettleman Oil Fields. While Roger was their only child, his mother was from a large family and Roger grew up with many aunts, uncles, and cousins in the Weis family.  Avenal was a small town, and Roger developed lasting friendships with his classmates and friends. 

When he graduated from high school, Roger went on to Loma Linda where he was studying medicine, but he decided the medical field was not for him, so he enlisted in the Army and stationed in Germany.  When he completed his service, he started college again at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in architecture, but just a few units from graduation; decided his real calling was farming.

In 1961, Roger married Laurel Ann Mastrofini.  Roger and Laurie started a family soon thereafter, and along came Melissa in 1963, Greta in 1966 and Erica in 1967.  In 1969, Roger trained as an agricultural appraiser and moved his young family to El Centro, CA to work for Bank of America.  Three years later, Roger was recruited to a position at Bank of Idaho and moved his family to Boise. 

After another move in three years to Idaho Falls where Roger was the Branch Manager, he decided 18 months later that he wanted to return to farming, and started farming with Laurie’s father, Ernest Mastrofini.  That first year home, Roger always had a smile on his face.  He truly loved farming.  When he was not farming, he was snow and water skiing with his family and attending all of the events that go with three young women coming of age. 

Roger is survived by his wife of 60 years, Laurie; daughter Melissa and her husband Jim, and son, Joe; and daughter Erica and her daughter Lola.  

Private services will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Madera.