Roger Dean Long, 77

Roger Dean Long, 77, of Howards Ridge, died Dec. 18, 2020, in Mountain Home, Arkansas. A celebration of his life will be held at a later time.

He was born Nov. 16, 1943, in Belle Plaine, Iowa, the son of Harry and Donna Hughes Long. 

He was saved and baptized at age 13, and he was of the Baptist faith. 

Mr. Long was a Navy veteran and a retired tool and die machinist. After retirement, he moved to the Pontiac area and became a general handyman for the Morgan family, with whom he began a longtime friendship.

In December 1996, he met Lanell Lewis, and after dating for many years, they were married on a boat on the ocean off the coast of Florida, where they truly loved to be. They enjoyed many wonderful adventures together, traveling, visiting friends and bargain hunting. Mr. Long was a rockhound and loved searching for rocks, attending rock shows and making beautiful jewelry. He also loved to garden, and when he finally realized that the soil/clay in these Ozarks hills was different from rich Iowa farm dirt, he had quite an orchard and vineyard growing. 

He enjoyed fishing, acting goofy with his grandkids and tinkering around. He wore many hats and will be sorely missed by family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Lanell, of the home; granddaughter Cheyenne Lawson of Conroe, Texas; stepchildren Rex Lewis and wife Barb, and Tim Lewis and wife Janie, all of Mountain Home, Rhonda Newton and husband Terry of Dora, Cari Lewis and husband Dan of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin; nine step-grandchildren; nine step-great-grandchildren; two brothers and two sisters; special friends Tim and Johnna Morgan; and a host of family and friends. 

He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, one brother and his only son, Dusty.

Arrangements by Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Gainesville.