Obit: Kaiser, Roman Francis #3 (1932 - 2008)

Contact: Audrey Roedl
Email: audero@charter.net

Surnames: Kaiser, Townsend, Lindner, Herket, Strohman

----Source: Loyal TRG 24 September 2008

Kaiser, Rev. Roman F. (2 APR 1932 - 14 SEP 2008)

Rev. Roman F. Kaiser, Col. USAF (Retired) and a priest for 50 years, died at the age of 76 on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, in the Palliative Care Unit at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 11 a.m., on Friday, Sept. 19, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Loyal. The Most Reverend Bishop Jerome E. Listecki presided. Burial followed in the parish cemetery with military rites conducted by a U.S. Air Force Honor Guard. Nephews served as pallbearers.

Roman Francis Kaiser was born on April 2, 1932, in Stratford, to Frank and Anna (nee Strohman) Kaiser. He attended St. Joseph’s Grade School, Stratford, and then entered the Salvatorian Seminary in St. Nazianz, in 1946. In 1952, he entered St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., where he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He was ordained a priest by the Most Reverend John P. Tracey on May 24, 1958, at Christ the King Chapel, Holy Cross Seminary, La Crosse. He celebrated his first Mass at St. Joseph, Stratford, his home parish, on May 25, 1958.

Father Kaiser’s first assignment was full-time instructor and athletic director for five years at Regis High School, Eau Claire, and was assistant pastor at St. Patrick and Sacred Heart parishes. In June 1963, he was granted permission to seek a chaplaincy in the armed forces. In August 1963, he received a commission as a Catholic chaplain in the United States Air Force from President John F. Kennedy. He received his basic training at Lackland Air Force AFB, San Antonio, Texas. His first assignment was to Hamilton AFB, California, and eventually he was sent to Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan. After the Vietnam War, he was commissioned to the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and later at Adair AFB, Oregon, followed by Williams AFB, Chandler, Ariz.

In 1979, he earned the recognition of full colonel in the U.S. Air Force and was reassigned a second term at the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. His next assignment was Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska, where he served as command chaplain for the Air Force Army, Navy and Coast Guard in that state. He then served as command chaplain at Air Force bases in Weisbaden and Ramstein, Germany. His next assignment was Marsh AFB, California, and was later transferred to Norton AFB, California, where he served for 3 ½ years as chaplain inspector and team chief of the U.S. Air Force Chaplaincy which took him to 72 bases around the world. Col. Father Kaiser retired from the military in 1990. In his travels throughout the world he served thousands of people of all faiths.

He accepted the call from the Most Reverend Bishop John Paul of the La Crosse Diocese in April on 1990, and was appointed pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish, Loyal, where he served 18 years until the time of his death. He gave wholeheartedly to all he served and treated everyone with compassionate love and saw the good in everyone. To quote Father Kaiser, "My job basically is to help people understand the beauty of who they are and help them come alive." His favorite saying, "Isn’t God good."

Survivors include four sisters, Cecelia Townsend, Riverview, Mich., Helen (Frank) Lindner, Loyal, Sister Catherine Kaiser FSPA, Port Edwards, and Dora Ann (Lawrence Herkert, Marshfield; two brothers, James (Betty Lou) Kaiser, Marshfield, and Thomas (Sandra) Kaiser, New Berlin; a sister-in-law, Janet Kaiser, Halder; many nieces, nephews. grandnieces, grandnephews, and cousins.

Preceding him in death were his parents; two brothers, Eugene Kaiser and Hilary Kaiser; a brother-in-law, John Townsend; and a niece-in-law, Lynn Herkert.

Father Kaiser’s family asks that memorials be given to St. Anthony Parish, Loyal.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.cuddiefh.com.

Cuddie Funeral Home, Loyal, assisted Father Kaiser’s family and the Diocese of La Crosse with arrangements.

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