Carl Eugene Rochester went home to be with the Lord on June 26, 2017, at the age of 81. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Sunday, July 2, 2017, at 2:00 pm, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, located at 601 Indiana St, Lawrence, KS, 66044. There will be a time of fellowship and refreshments immediately following the Celebration of Life service.
Carl was born on February 29, 1936, in Clearfield, Kansas, the first of three children of Beatrice Lucille (Johnson) Rochester and Harlan Eugene Rochester. He graduated from Wellsville High School in Wellsville, Kansas, in 1954.
He married his high school sweetheart, Velma Lorene Jones, in 1955. Carl and Velma were married for 61 years. Over the years, they were quite adventurous, pursuing activities such as camping, boating, water skiing, and motorcycle riding.
Carl served as a paratrooper in the U.S Army. After serving in the military, Carl and Velma moved to Eudora, Kansas, and lived there the rest of their lives until now. Over the years, Carl’s places of work included the Kaw Valley School, the U.S.I. Chemical Plant, and the Eudora Nursing Center.
Carl gave his life to Jesus Christ at the age of 43. While facing a number of health challenges in the last season of his life, his faith in Jesus remained…on an almost daily basis, Carl would listen to Velma read the Bible aloud to him.
Carl leaves his wife of 61 years, Velma Rochester; his son, Eric Rochester; granddaughter, Lindsey Rochester; grandson, Cody Rochester; brother, Gary Rochester; sister, Carolee Randel; and a sister and a brother from his Mother’s second marriage, Sheryl Wright and Chuck Stevenin.
