Rev. Dr. Michael Rogers, 67, of Bemidji, Minn., died Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in Bemidji.

Michael Louis Rogers was born June 19, 1943, the youngest of three sons to Clifford August Rogers and his wife, Dorothea, nee, Koehn, at Appleton, Wis. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church, Kaukauna, Wis., and attended the parish school, Trinity Lutheran Elementary School, both graduating and being confirmed in the Lutheran faith in May 1957. He graduated from Kaukauna Public High School in May 1961. Dr. Rogers received his doctorate from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., on May 17, 1996. He did undergraduate work at Concordia Teachers College of River Forest, Ill., graduating with a bachelor of arts in 1965. He taught three years and served as principal of Zion Lutheran School in Colby, Wis., from 1965-1968. He vicared in Barrington, Ill., at St. Matthew Lutheran Church and graduated from the Seminary in 1972 with a B.D.M. Div. He had served various congregations since 1972, some of which included St. John Lutheran, Ord; Grace Lutheran Church at Middletown, Conn. (1977-1978); Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, until 1984; Trinity Lutheran Church and School of Wisconsin Dells, Wis., until 1989 and St, Paul Lutheran Church and School in Arlington until his retirement in August 2000.

He married Rogene Hornickel on June 23, 1977, in Ord. In retirement, Dr. Rogers did guest preaching and served as vacancy pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church at Bagley, Minn., and first Evangelical Lutheran Church at Grand Rapids, Minn. Throughout these many years of ministry for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Dr. Rogers had served as zone counselor of both the L.L.L. and the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League; South Wisconsin District Board of Stewardship; Volunteer Pastors in Probation of Valley County, and Region 6 Representative on the Nebraska Drug and Alcohol Commission of Douglas, Dodge, Washington and Sarpy counties. He also served two full terms on the Nebraska Association of Congregations fo Concordia College in Seward.

He is survived by his wife, Rogene, two sons, Luke and Ethan, all of Bemidji; and two brothers, Clifford (Shirley) Rogers of Wisconsin and John (Gina) Rogers of Tenn.

He was preceded in death by his parents. The funeral will be 10 a.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji with the Rev. Matthew Wurm officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. today at Olson Schwartz Funeral Home in Bemidji and will continue one hour prior to service time Friday at the church. Burial will be Monday in St. Paul Cemetery, north of Arlington. An online guest book may be signed at www.olson-schwartzfuneralhome.com