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Dodge City - The family of Mike B. (Joker) Rodriguez sadly announces his passing April 7, 2009 at Western Plains Medical Complex, Dodge City. Our father was born September 29, 1924 in the Dodge City Mexican village to Pedro and Aleja Rodriguez and attended the Coronado School at the village. He proudly answered the call to service, serving his country as a tank crewmember with the 777th Tank Battalion under the command of General Patton in WWII. After returning from the war he married our mother, Jovita, receiving their wedding vows on Nov. 7, 1953 at the Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Dad was also a second generation railroader, starting out as a young buck with Rock Island Railroad but then hired on with Santa Fe at the Dodge City rail yards. He started out as a trackman but during his time with Santa Fe he was a machine operator, burrough crane operator and foreman. Our Dad dedicated most his life to keeping the trains rolling. It was his personal mission to keep the freight moving through Dodge spending many a late nights at train derailments and clearing the snow from the tracks ensuring safe passage for Amtrak. He finished his career with Santa Fe on August 29th, 1986 with 44 years of continuous service except for a break with the Army. He still didn't finish his railroad career working with his son Demetrius on their own railroad company (Rodriguez Railroad Service) at Farmland Industries and Liquid Carbonics for twenty years.

Our dad's passions were playing baseball as a catcher with the Santa Fe Railroad and planting a big garden every year. Nothing made him feel better then to give his friends and neighbors the bounty from his garden.

Our Dad was a good giving father and grandpa. He knew no stranger and enjoyed the company of many of friends, nieces, nephews and family. His surviving family members are: his son Demetrius (Dino) Rodriguez, Dodge City; two daughters, Florina Rodriguez-Kappel and husband Mark, San Antonio, Texas, and Amanda Rodriguez-Stroud and husband Chuck, Jetmore; sister, Mary Lucy Rodriguez, Toluca Lake, California; three grandchildren, Melissa Kappel, Slidell, Louisiana, Justin Kappel, Dallas, Texas, and Danielle Stroud, Hays; one nephew Martin Vizcaya, Toluca Lake, California; and one niece Cindy Vega, Spearville, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his wife Jovita, daughter Seraphina M. (Sera) Rodriguez, brother Joe Rodriguez, and his sister Rafaela Rodriguez.

Vigil will be at 6:30 P.M. Sunday at the cathedral of our Lady of Guadlupe, Dodge City. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 A.M. Monday at the Church with Father Ted Skalsky presiding. Visitation will be from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Friday, Saturday, and until 5:00 P.M. Sunday at Beckwith Funeral Home, Jetmore. Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City, with Military Graveside Rites. Memorials may be sent to the V.F.W. Post 1714 Scholarship Fund or the American Legion Rider in care the Funeral Home.