Robert William Eklund
Marriages
Alice Jefferies - July 2, 1945
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Death Notice - February 26, 2017
Robert William Eklund Jr., 96, Cedaredge, died Feb. 24, 2017,
at his home.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Grand Mesa Southern Baptist
Church in Cedaredge, followed by a reception and dinner.
Survivors include his wife, Alice; three sons, Wayne, Scott and
Larry; three daughters, Connie Bray, Mary Ann Rathburn and
Shellee Starr; one sister, Florence Shogren; 12 grandchildren; 21
great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions to HopeWest, P.O. Box 24, Delta 81416.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 6A Obituary - February 28, 2017
Robert William Eklund, Jr.
passed away peacefully at his
home on February 24, 2017.
The second of four children,
he was born August 15, 1920,
in Lindsborg, KS, to Robert
William, Sr. and Daveta
Childs Eklund. Bob attended
McPherson County and Saline
County elementary schools. He went to Bavaria High School
and then Lindsborg, KS High School where he graduated in
1938.
Bob attended Bethany College in Lindsborg and was a science
major playing football, basketball, track and semi-pro baseball
in the summer. In his spare time, he worked on the family farm.
Then came WWII; he dropped out of college, joined the Army
Air Corps and became a licensed pilot on August 11, 1942. Bob,
upon his discharge, worked as an “Army Half-Track” inspector
at Camp Phillips, Salina, KS. During this time period, he
attended Salt City Business College at Hutchinson, KS
graduating with a business degree and Teacher’s Qualifying
Certification. After working as an accountant in Hutchinson for
one year, Bob returned to Bethany College to finish his last
three semesters and to play his last year of football.
He married Alice Jefferies on July 2, 1945, and celebrated
more than 71 years of love. Upon receiving his degree from
Bethany College, Bob returned to Salt City Business College as
an instructor for one year. His dream was to teach high school
students and coach football, basketball and baseball, and that
dream became reality when he accepted his first
teaching/coaching position in Arapaho, CO. The next 35 years
were spent in Colorado schools, with the majority of those years
in Cedaredge. He viewed everyone he ever taught or coached as
important to his life and developed deep relationships with
students and peers. Bob’s Christian faith was strong, and he was
integral in the life of the churches he attended.
Bob never missed the opportunity to learn something new and
pursued a wide number of interests throughout his life: wheat
farming as a young man; business accounting (Delta County
Federal Teachers Credit Union early years); photography (get
out the slide shows); sang bass in the Messiah, other choirs and
quartets; oil painted for 70 years after instruction by Birger
Sandzen; wild flowers; mushrooms; geology; archeology;
historical sites and events; astronomy; hunting (birds, deer, elk);
fishing (particularly fly fishing), et. al.
Mr. Eklund is survived by wife, Alice; sister, Florence
Shogren, and six children, Connie Bray, Larry (Celia) Eklund,
Mary Ann (Marty) Rathburn, Shellee (Richard) Starr, Wayne
(Rose) Eklund, and Scott (Syndi) Eklund, as well as 12
grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren and one great-greatgrandchild.
He was preceded in death by parents, Robert and
Daveta Eklund; brother, Gene; sister, Jane MacMurray, and one
granddaughter, Kim Bryant.
A memorial service will be held at the Grand Mesa Southern
Baptist Church in Cedaredge on Tuesday, February 28, at 11:00
a.m. The service will be followed by reception and dinner.
Memorial contributions to HopeWest Hospice P. O. Box 24
Delta, CO 81416
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor
Funeral Service and Crematory.
View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at
www.taylorfuneralservice.com.
