Rolland Greeno

Rolland ""Rollie"" N. Greeno, 83, Jamestown, North Dakota, died Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at MeritCare Palliative Care Unit in Fargo, ND.

Rolland Neale Greeno was born on July 8, 1926 to Milton and Blanche Greeno in Amherst, South Dakota. He attended Weston Consolidated Schools in Amherst for ten years and Langford, SD for two, graduating in 1944 as valedictorian. He excelled in basketball, track and baseball.

Rollie served in the US Naval Air Corps at various Naval Air Stations in the United States, including Hawaii, as a tail gunner, in a Martin Mariner patrol bomber. He served from August 1944 until June 1946.

After WWII, he attended Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD and graduated with honors in June of 1950. He attained degrees in Physical Education, History, English and Biology. He was the first athlete to win 12 letters in three sports; football, basketball and track. Some of Rollie’s most memorable achievements were winning the SDIC 880 yard dash and running on the championship mile relay team with his brother Rich. After graduation from college, Rollie coached four sports with great success at Wessington Springs High School in SD.

On August 21, 1952 Rollie was united in marriage with Bernice Storley of Roslyn, SD. Rollie and Bernice spent the next nine years in Milbank, SD. Rollie’s success in Milbank was remarkable. His football record was 68-5-1 with a 44 game winning streak, which still stands as a state record in South Dakota, where he was inducted into the South Dakota High School Coaches Hall of Fame.

In 1965, Rollie moved to Jamestown, ND to serve as associate professor of physical education, and to coach football, wrestling, track and cross country at Jamestown College. He coached football for 26 years with great success. While in Jamestown, he was inducted into the NAIA National Football Coaches Hall of Fame as well as the Northern State College Hall of Fame, and Jamestown College Hall of Fame. His track and cross country teams were also very successful, claiming a combined 75 conference titles. Rollie retired from Jamestown College in 2002. He married Mae Carter on January 22, 2007.

He enjoyed many hobbies, including coin hunting, reading Civil War and WWII history books, gardening, watching sporting events and spending time with his ten grandchildren. Rollie’s passion was coaching and he adored all those that played on his teams. He was known for coining many phrases and loved telling stories to those that listened. He was a member of the Jamestown Lions Club, American Legion, and Elks Club.

Rollie is survived by his wife Mae, Jamestown; his children, Rollie, Jr. (Donna), Apple Valley, MN, Gregg (Jeri), St. Michael, MN, Trudi (Randy) Smith, Wahpeton, ND, Gretchen (Dan) McClain, DeForest, WI; ten grandchildren, Jeff (Lexie) and Tim Greeno, Betsy (Bobby) Paulus, Dan, Sam and Hannah Greeno, Kiki (Wesley) Beschorner, Allie and Ryan Smith and Edie McClain; and one brother, Rich (Rosemary) Greeno, Sioux Falls, SD.

Rollie was preceded in death by his wife, Bernice; an infant daughter, Laurie; parents; and seven brothers and sisters.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Rollie and Bernice Greeno Scholarship Fund at Jamestown College.

On line guestbook: eddyfuneralhome.com