Roll Call Tribute

Roger Q. "Jake" Landers, Jr. 

July 23, 1932 - May 15, 2024 

Roger Q. Jake Landers, Jr., 91, passed away Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at his home in Van Meter, Iowa.

Jake was born at the ranch in Menard County, Texas on July 23, 1932, to Roger Q. and Emmie (Luckenbach) Landers, and the next 18 years he enjoyed a life of ranch chores, swimming, gardening, 4-H Club, school athletics and band. After graduating valedictorian of Menard High School in 1950, he enrolled at Texas A & M College and graduated 4 years later, paying his way with scholarships and savings from 4-H projects.

Jake met his beautiful wife, Helen (Benson) in the first grade in the Menard schools. They were good friends throughout their school years and got married in 1954. They were married for 67 years before Helen’s death in 2021.

He was recognized as a top student in Range and Forestry and in the College of Agriculture in 1954. He was awarded a Danforth Fellowship to pursue graduate school to prepare for a career in college teaching. A Master’s Degree was received in 1955, followed by two years as an officer in the U. S. Army in Fort Eustis, Virginia, before enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his PhD in Plant Ecology.

In 1962, he accepted an appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Iowa State University and taught courses in Ecology, Dendrology, and General Botany. He was recognized for his work in conservation and management of prairie remnants, such as the Doolittle Prairie. He was known for his work with prescribed burning of prairies and the involvement of students in environmental studies.

Jake returned to Texas in 1979 as Extension Range Specialist at the Texas A & M Research and Extension Center, San Angelo. He developed techniques and procedure for individual plant treatment of brush and prickly pear cactus for ranchers in 17 counties. He initiated prescribed burning as a procedure for managing rangeland to reduce undesirable species and stimulate grasses. He wrote articles for newspapers and magazines, and continued to write after his retirement from the Extension Service in 1994. Jake and Helen moved to Menard Manor in 2012, where they lived for many years. In 2021, Jake moved to Iowa to live with his daughter and son-in-law, with grandchildren and great-grandchildren next door. He enjoyed getting reacquainted with the Iowa Prairie in his last 2 1/2 years.

He was the recipient of many achievements and awards throughout his lifetime. In 1990, he was recognized as the outstanding person in Range Management by the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management, and a Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award by the parent society in 2016. He received the Menard Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2015. He was awarded the 2019 Outstanding Achievement Alumni Award by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A & M University. In 2023, he received the North American Prairie Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jake is survived by his children, Roger Q. Landers III (Karen) of Salem, Oregon, Amy Landers Ness (Jon) of Van Meter, Iowa; Grandchildren, Matt (Katie) Ness, Drew (Nicki) Ness, Michelle (Tyler) Kubik; great-grandchildren, Emalynn, Danny, Eli, Lydia, Isaiah, Mabel, Mikah, Nathan, Andi, Luke and Noah; brother John Brooks (Barbara) Landers, sister-in-law Jimmie Gail Landers, and many special cousins, nieces and nephews.

Jake was preceded in death by his parents Roger Q and Emmie Landers, wife Helen, sister Susanna Brown, and brother Fritz Landers.

Visitation is scheduled at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 3601 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, June 1 from 3-5 pm. A memorial service will be held in October in Menard, Texas. His body will be laid to rest at the Rest Haven Cemetery Menard next to his wife.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation-Springhill Prairie (Carl Kurtz) and the Texas Society for Range Management Youth Range Workshop. Jake had deep roots in Menard and invested his time and resources in several organizations for the betterment of his hometown. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite Menard organization to continue making Menard a special place.

The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the Hospice staff at Unity Point for their special care of Jake during his last couple of months with us.