Roger James Gieschen

Roger was born June 30,1928 in Marshfield, Wisconsin and died January 23,2024. He was a Lutheran Pastor serving congregations in Oklahoma and Kansas. His first call was to establish a new congregation in Oklahoma City.   This prepared him for a variety of responsibilities in the parish and synodical judicatory.  His second call was to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas. A third call came to serve as mission director for the Central States Synod of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA).  He was elected Bishop of this Synod in 1978 and served until 1988.   He continued to serve in the new church  Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)  wherever he was needed. 

Pastor Gieschen received his undergraduate degree from Midland University and his theological degree from Central Lutheran Theological Seminary in Fremont, Nebraska.  He received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. The Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago awarded him the Distinguished Alumnus Award. 

Roger enlisted in the United States Airforce in 1949 for four years, serving one year in Korea as a communication specialist. He married Sally Ann Christensen in 1956 in Santa Rosa, California. 

Roger was preceded in death by an older brother, Donald, a sister Eunice and his parents, Lucille, and Gerhard Gieschen. He is survived by his wife, Sally, of 67 years, daughter Julie, son Gregory (Jennifer), five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and brothers David and Gary (Susie). 

Services will be at Immanuel Lutheran Church 1700 Westport Road, Kansas City, Missouri

Burial will take place at Johnson County Memorial Gardens. The date to be announced later. 

The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to Crossroads Hospice and Palliative Care of Lenexa, Kansas, ECLA World Hunger or Metro Lutheran Ministry (MLM).