Our beloved Roger Wayne Rouse entered eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday, December 28, 2023. He was 83. Roger is survived by his loving wife of many years, Juanita Stanley Rouse, their three children Sharon Bullock (Mike), Mandy Ricker (Jim), & Wayne Rouse (Charlene), 7 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and dear sister, Shirley R. Stanley. He was preceded in death by his parents Patrick and Dell Rouse, as well as his sister Florence Baxter and his brother, David Rouse.

As a young man, Roger worked shift work at Sylvania/FMC Plant in Fredericksburg, VA; as well as VDOT in Stafford, VA.

Roger and Juanita along with their children built a local country store, Partlow Market, in 1979 and ran it until December 31, 2000. His daughter and son spent hours and years working alongside them at the store.

Every spring, he and Juanita planted a huge garden and the entire family enjoyed homegrown vegetables. Every summer, there was an abundance of vegetables to can and freeze. He would load watermelons in his old pickup and give them to neighbors at the store. Many summers he would be seen taking his 1930 Model A Ford for a drive around Partlow, oftentimes with his grandchildren piled in the back. He also enjoyed his cows in the pasture, baling hay, and a simple country life.

Throughout his life, Roger was an avid hunter and loved to be out in the woods with his son, grandsons, and friends and enjoyed the sound of hounds chasing a deer. He loved fox hunting in his younger days and deer hunting always. Learning to play music by ear, he spent hours playing the fiddle, guitar, and harmonica, or as he called it, the mouth harp. Through his final years, he loved playing bluegrass gospel music at local churches with bandmates Jerusalem Ridge. He was affectionately known in the small community of Partlow as the “mayor of Partlow.”

Roger loved traditional hymns, some of his favorites being Amazing Grace, Is Not This the Land of Beulah, and Farther Along. He regularly attended and was a member of Wallers Baptist Church and showed his family the meaning of a personal relationship with Jesus.

He is dearly loved by his family and has shown three generations how to put God first and work hard. He especially adored and was very proud of his grandchildren and great grandchildren! We miss you Dad/Papa!

The family will receive friends and family from 6pm-8pm on Tuesday, January 2 at Wallers Baptist Church – 4001 Partlow Rd, Partlow, VA 22534. The funeral service will be held at 11am at Wallers Baptist on Wednesday, January 3, reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking those who would like to send a gift to send donations in memory of Roger to: Wallers Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, PO Box 95, Partlow, VA 22534.