Marvin J. Roshell

Roshell was born on October 27, 1932, in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.{{cite web |url= https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS12506 |title=Roshell, Marvin J. 1932 |website= Wisconsin Historical Society |date=8 August 2017 |accessdate= March 18, 2021 }} He graduated from Cadott High School in Cadott, Wisconsin, and enlisted in the United States Air Force at age 18. He served from 1950 to 1954, including duties in the Korean War, and afterwards attended Coyne Electrical College. He worked as an electrician and contractor at Roshell Electric, which was owned by his father and uncle. In 1968, he and his brother, Eugene, along with their cousins Bill and John Roshell, bought the business from their fathers.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73786404/obituary-for-john-f-roshell-1942-1999/ |title= John F. Roshell |newspaper= Chippewa Herald-Telegram |date= March 7, 1999 |page= 2 |accessdate= March 18, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }}

In 1969, Roshell was elected along with Carmen Muenich in the election for the Lafayette town board.{{cite news|title=Muenich, Sommerfeld Lafayette Town Picks |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5050102/marvin_roshell_born_1932/|newspaper=Eau Claire Leader|date=April 2, 1969|page=3|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = April 25, 2016}} {{Open access}} Roshell was elected to the Senate in 1978. Later, he served as Majority Caucus Secretary and Majority Caucus Chairperson. Previously, he had been a member of the Lafayette Board of Supervisors from 1969 to 1979, serving as Chairperson from 1975 to 1979. He was a Democrat.

In December 1992, Roshell announced he would resign from the Senate to accept an appointment in the administration of Governor Tommy Thompson.{{cite journal|url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/1991/related/journals/senate/19921230.pdf |title= Petitions and Communications |issue= Wednesday, December 30, 1992 |date= December 30, 1992 |journal= State of Wisconsin Senate Journal |volume= Ninetieth Regular Session |page= 1214 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislature |accessdate= March 18, 2021 }} He was appointed administrator of the Safety and Buildings Division within the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor & Human Relations.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73785480/roshell-wis-dilhr/|title= Roshell happy to grab 'golden goose' |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= January 2, 1993 |page= 3 |accessdate= March 18, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }} Roshell was considered a conservative Democrat while serving in the Senate, and his appointment to a state job in a Republican administration was considered a political ploy to flip the closely divided State Senate from Democratic to Republican control.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73788685/thompson-appointees/|title= Appointess may haunt Thompson |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= January 5, 1993 |page=5 |accessdate= March 18, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }}

Roshell retired three years later. At the time of his retirement, there was a small scandal around the size of the retirement benefits paid to former legislators who had also worked as state employees.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73785908/roshell-legislator-retirements/|title= State legislators are cashing in on big benefits |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= April 8, 1996 |page=1 |first= Matt |last= Pommer |accessdate= March 18, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }}

While they were both serving in the U.S. Air Force, Roshell met Barbara "Bobbie" Tompkins, of Morrison, Colorado. They married at Cadott, Wisconsin, on July 24, 1954,{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73788027/marriage-of-tompkins-roshell/ |title= Barbara Tompkins, Marvin Roshell Married in Cadott |newspaper= Eau Claire Leader-Telegram |date= July 31, 1954 |page= 5 |accessdate= March 18, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }} and now have three adult children. A few years after his retirement, Marvin and Barbara moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73787324/roshell-brager-wedding/|title= Brager-Roshell |newspaper= Eau Claire Leader-Telegram |date= January 15, 2006 |page= 43 |accessdate= March 18, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }} Roshell Electric Inc. remains a family-owned business, now run by Roshell's sons and nephews.{{cite web|url= https://www.roshellelectric.com/|title= About Roshell Electric Inc. |website= Roshell Electric Inc.|accessdate= March 18, 2021 }}

He was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the AFL-CIO.

He died in Chippewa Falls on March 9, 2022, at the age of 89.{{cite news|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chippewa/name/marvin-roshell-obituary?id=33593217|title=Marvin J. Roshell|work=The Chippewa Herald|date=2022-03-11|access-date=2022-03-21}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/rosenzweig-rosoff.html#487.44.60 The Political Graveyard]
• [https://www.roshellelectric.com/ Roshell Electric Inc.]

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{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}

{{s-bef|before = Bruce Peloquin }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nobreak|from the 23rd district}} |years= January 1, 1979{{spaced ndash}}December 29, 1992 }}

{{s-aft|after = David A. Zien}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roshell, Marvin}}

Category:1932 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Wisconsin city council members

Category:County supervisors in Wisconsin

Category:Mayors of places in Wisconsin

Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators

Category:Politicians from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Category:Military personnel from Wisconsin

Category:United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War

Category:People from Chippewa County, Wisconsin

Category:Politicians from Hot Springs, Arkansas

Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature