Roscoe Scherich

Dateline: Wadesboro, NC

Mr. Roscoe Clayton Scherich, of Wadesboro, NC, left this world peacefully to be with Christ on September 1, 2013. He was born in Cameron, WV on February 7, 1925 to Johnson and Lorena Scherich. He spent his earlier life in WV where he attended Marshall University and the University of West Virginia until joining the navy to help fight during WWII.

While in the Navy, he saw a lot of action in the South Pacific. He was the personal navigator (quartermaster) for Admiral Ziggy Sprague during the battle of Samar where his Admiral was awarded the only Navy cross ever given. After the Navy, he was given an officer's rank and was a navigator in the Merchant Marines.

Stationed out of San Francisco, California, he met his wife Marietta Ward Scherich. They started their family there then later moved to Anson County, NC where Roscoe started his business in the farming industry. He was owner and operator of Southland Hatcheries, where he developed turkey breeds and introduced various breeds to the Southeast, including charolais cattle. He produced approximately 25 million turkeys annually. Later on he would merge and become a partner in Central Farms and produce approximately 100 million turkeys nationwide.

He was president of the South Carolina Turkey Federation for 30 years, and he would give a turkey to the governor of SC to be pardoned on Thanksgiving every year. Central Farms was then sold to Cuddy Farms. He then began to work for Cooper Farms. He accomplished so much in his career with Cooper Farms turkey hatchery. His dedication and persistence never went unnoticed. In fact he kept working for Cooper Farms up until he turned 80 years old.

He loved being out in the country and doing the simple things in life like fishing, and spending time on the farm. One of his favorite past times was to fish with his best friend Bill Bates in the Gulf Coast. He enjoyed traveling and being at the ocean or around the water. He was a gentleman and a true hero. He touched so many lives with his quick sense of humor and caring nature. He was a loving and dedicated father, brother, and grandfather.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Elmer and Rockne Scherich, and his sister Nelda Scherich Baber. He is survived by his brother Ellsworth Scherich, sisters Rhea Scherich Weekly and Violetta Scherich Matthews; his son Rodney Scherich and daughter Rhonda Scherich Cates; his grandchildren Chelsea Scherich and Russell Scherich.

The funeral service will be 1:00 PM, Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at Bethel United Methodist Church, Wadesboro, NC with interment to follow in the Bethel Cemetery. Visitation will be held 12:00 - 1:00 PM, prior to the service in the church.

Miller-Rivers-Caulder Funeral Home of Chesterfield, SC (www.mrcfuneralhome.com) is serving the Scherich family