08/14/2026
Redig Funeral Home History
January 1, 1991, Roger and Pat Redig purchased the Wharton Funeral Home in Aurelia, Iowa, beginning a family tradition of serving families in the surrounding communities with compassion, dignity, and care.
Roger, the son of Melvin and Betty Redig, was born and raised in Storm Lake. He graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1974 and married Patricia “Pat” Cowell on June 24, 1978, in Cedar Rapids. Pat is the daughter of George and Joanne Cowell of Storm Lake.
Roger began his career in funeral service while living in Storm Lake, working for David Nelson, owner of Hughes-Nelson Funeral Home. He also assisted at Jones Funeral Home in Alta and Wharton Funeral Home in Aurelia.
After attending Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Roger continued his education at Worsham Mortuary College in Chicago, Illinois. He returned to Storm Lake to complete his apprenticeship at Hughes-Nelson Funeral Home and Wharton Funeral Home in Aurelia. Roger became a licensed funeral director in 1987.
Roger and Pat later moved to Ackley, Iowa, where Roger worked at Brandt-Fritz Funeral Home for fourteen months. When George and Florence Wharton decided to retire, they sold the Wharton Funeral Home to Roger and Pat, allowing them to continue the tradition of serving families in Aurelia and the surrounding communities.
The Redig family tradition continued with their son, Roman Redig.
Roman graduated from Aurelia High School in 2008 and continued his education at Western Iowa Tech Community College, where he was named to the Dean’s List. He then attended the Des Moines Area Community College Department of Mortuary Science, graduating with high honors in 2010.
Roman returned to Aurelia to complete his internship and became fully licensed in 2012. He joined his parents in continuing the family’s commitment to caring for families during some of life’s most difficult moments.
Roman married Shelby Meyer on June 15, 2019.
Since the beginning of the Redig family’s journey in funeral service, Roger and Pat dedicated their lives to caring for others and serving the families and communities around them.
Roger and Pat Redig have both since passed away, but their legacy of compassion, dedication, and service continues through their son, Roman, and the Redig family.
Their commitment to funeral service and the relationships they built with the families they served will always remain an important part of the history of Redig Funeral Home. We are grateful for the foundation they built and honored to continue the tradition of caring for families with the same compassion and dedication they showed throughout their lives.
Their legacy lives on through the family, the funeral home, and the many lives they touched.
