Robert F. Gilmore

Funeral services will be 10:00 AM, Friday, June 8, 2012 at The Runge Mortuary. Visitation will be held from 4-7PM, Thursday, June 7, 2012 at the mortuary. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rungemortuary.com.

Bob was born on April 30, 1934 in Pine River, Minnesota, the son of Forest and Hazel Connely Gilmore.

He was a brother to Paul, George, Harold, Delores Woods, Mary Mayfield, Velma Fall and Mildred Stockton. He was beloved Uncle Bob to many nieces and nephews. He was a husband to Donna Housley Gilmore from 1951 to 1971, and Almeda (Allie as he called her) Gilmore from 1980 to her death in 2008. He was a father to Penny and Phil Brown, Roxanne and Jim Isham, Denise and Greg Stoffer, Kim and Tom Campbell, Rob and Cindy Gilmore, Mark and Karen Gilmore and Keith Burney. He was a Grandfather of 17 , and a Great Grandfather of 26 , in fact, his Grandson Brandon had to explain to his Great Grandson, Christian "what made him so Great".

Bud in his younger day, Bob after that, went to the school of hard knocks. He had many different jobs, farm hand in younger years in Olin, IA where he spent his boyhood, to a diesel mechanic, where he worked at International Harvester, on to Twin Bridges Truck City, then to Kraft Foods which he retired from in 1996. He consulted for a while, then went to work with his son, at Total Maintenance Solutions until 2007. He enjoyed western movies and Law & Order.

Bob was an adventurer, a true Outdoorsman. He was a hunter, he made trips to Alaska by himself to hunt Grizzly bear, "just me and the Great Outdoors". He didn't get one, but not so sure he really wanted to. It was more about escaping to a place of complete inner peace for him. He made many trips to Canada, where he hunted black bear. The small one is mounted on his living room wall, a bigger one was made into a rug. He was so very proud of these. Bob and a group of friends took many “fishing” trips to Canada. They caught a lot of fish, brought back coolers full to divvy up when they got back. There were many stories to share when they got home. We did hear how much smokes and beer cost across that border .

He was a dreamer. The outdoors was his sanctuary, often told us his church was out on that river bank he visited each day. He would get out there and just sit, listen to the sounds of the water flowing, the birds, the insects, the quiet.

He was preceded death by his parents, wife, brothers Paul, Harold, and George, and sisters Delores and Mildred.