Obituary: Frank Roth Jr.

Frank Roth Jr., thought to be one of the longest serving employees of American River Transportation Company, died October 16 in St. Louis, Mo., at the age of 87. He started as a deckhand for ARTCO in the mid-1970s on the mv. Roberta Tabor and retired in 2010.

“Frank loved to tell the story about his first day on the job when he reported to the vessel at Lock 27 wearing a three-piece suit,” said Matthew French, ARTCO’s lineboat operations manager in St. Louis. “The chief engineer onboard at the time was David Cook, who went on to be vice president of operations. He said he thought Frank was a corporate visitor and started giving him a tour of the vessel.”

Roth transitioned from the vessels to a landside supervisory role in St. Louis when the fleeting operation was located near the JB bridge, French said. In 1988, when the company acquired Wisconsin Barge Line, he moved into a role in purchasing and warehousing at Reidy Terminal. He later drove the crew van and delivered vessel parts for the remainder of his career, “making the ride to or from the boat a little more entertaining,” said French, “filled, as it was, with history and storytelling.”