Ronald (Ron) Stanford Roushall, age 97, died peacefully at his home in Orosi, CA on February 15, 2025. Ron was born in Reedley, CA on November 19, 1927, as a third generation Californian to Jacob and Iva (England) Roushall. He was the youngest of three children and attended Reedley Elementary and Graduated from Reedley Joint Union High School in 1945. Ron’s grandfather, S.D. England owned an ice-cream store in Reedley and his mother, Iva, worked at the store.
Being at the tail end of WW-II, he joined the Navy in 1945, did his boot camp in San Diego, and was a Navy reserve assigned to the APA228 US Rockbridge in San Francisco. They delivered “secret” cargo and sailed to places such as Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. Upon return of the mission to San Diego, the war ended, and he was discharged in less than a year as a Seaman First Class. He came back to Reedley and graduated from Reedley College in 1948 and later U.C. Davis (Ag extension of Berkeley) in 1950 with a B.S. degree and a Major in Plant Science. His first job was as a food inspector for the state of California inspecting grapes in the valley and celery in Stockton.
Then the Korean conflict began, and Ron was drafted into the Army. He did his boot camp at Fort Ord, Monterey and was stationed at Fort Lewis, WA, as an inspector of food that was shipped to the troops overseas. He was in the Army for 2 years and left as a Sergeant. He always referred to his time in WA as “The Battle of Seattle”.
After returning from the service, he moved to Orosi and stayed with the Orlopp family until forming a partnership with Harold Collins to start a Turkey ranch in 1954. He expanded his farm over the years and raised Lemons, Oranges, Grapes and Cattle. He built his first home in 1954 as a War Surplus prefab home from the Bay Area and it still exists on the old Ranch today.
He married his first wife, Marian Bitter of Biola, CA, in July of 1957. She moved into the War Surplus home with him and began a family with three children, Monty, Donna, and Randy Roushall. When Randy (the youngest) was born, it was decided that the War Surplus home was too small, so he built a new home in 1967 on the top of one of the hills on the Ranch. His first wife, Marian, passed away from Cancer in 1991.
After a few years, Ron met Linda Dodge of Reedley, dated for a few years, and married in December 1997 in Shaver Lake, CA. Linda ran a bookkeeping business in Reedley and has two kids from a previous marriage. Linda joined Ron on the ranch and Ron continued to farm until 2006, at the young age of 79.
Ron was a Lions Club member of Dinuba and a member of the Model A club, Blossom Trail A’s, of Reedley. He spent a lot of time traveling in his later years and attended plays at the old Opera House in Reedley and Roger Rocka’s / 2nd Space theatre in Fresno.
Survivors include his wife of 27 years, Linda Dodge Roushall, his children, Donna Roushall of Fresno, CA, Monty Roushall and his wife, Yvette, of Coarsegold, CA, Randy Roushall and his wife, Tina, of Redwood City, CA and his Stepchildren, Richard Dodge of Prescott, AZ and Melissa Dodge Serdengecti and her husband, Kemal, of Long Beach, CA. Ron is the grandfather of six grandchildren, Kurtis Roushall, Elena Roushall, Jacob Dodge, Jarod Dodge, Kaden Serdengecti, and Madison Serdengecti and survived by one great-grandchild, Jackson Roth Dodge.
Family and friends are invited to Memorial Services at 9 am on Saturday, March 1 at Smith Mountain Cemetery followed by a Celebration of Life luncheon at the Bear Club in Reedley.
Memorial Donations can be made to the Lions Club of Dinuba.
