Robert Stucker

Robert was home-birthed on October 11, 1918 on his parents’ family farm in Ellis County, Oklahoma. As Dr. Davis of Higgins, Texas helped his mother Francis guide Robert into the world, his father Homer saw his first son, who he hoped would be an eager helper on their wheat and cattle farm. Robert had an older sister; he was followed by one more sister and two brothers and out-lived them all. At 10, he could already manage four horses yoked together; plowing, planting and cultivating with them. At 15 years of age he was baptized in the Methodist Church. He graduated from Bishop High School in 1936, where he excelled academically and was also an avid chorus member. He returned to the farm until he was inducted into the US Army in 1943 at the age of 23. He spent three years during WWII driving ambulances in northern Africa, saving rather than taking lives. Upon discharge, he went back to farming again with his dad. Amidst all the hard work of farming he got away for a few dates, handsome and in his Army uniform. With his cousin Benny, they met Florence and her sister Fern in Higgins, Texas. Equally smitten, Robert and Florence were married on the 17th of January 1946. After farming together for a few years, Robert’s career horizon began to expand. He worked with seismography, handling dynamite and helping to help find oil. In 1950, he began working for the Michigan Wisconsin Pipeline Company in Guymon, OK… and completed his 30 year career with them in Marshfield, Wisconsin. He retired in 1980. Their son and only child Virgil was born in 1952. During retirement Robert and Florence volunteered with their son and his family, helping in nonprofit programs for people with mental illness and with caring for and playing with their young grandchildren. First, at Gould Farm in MA, then, Rose Hill Center in MI. After next living with Virgil and his family again in MA, Robert and Florence ‘retired’ to Adel, IA in 1995 to be near Florence’s family. Adel has been their continuous home since then. We remember Robert as a Gentle and Kind Man… Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather… with children sitting on his lap reading to them. Sometimes he would fall asleep and they would poke him, saying, “Wake up”… As he pondered death, he said, “After I am gone, I won’t wake up here any more but I hope that every once in a while my grandchildren and great grandchildren will poke their memories of our times together and perhaps read to their children and grandchildren… and think of our past times together with a smile…” Robert’s love of family and of God and his mantra “Live life one day at a time” helped him to live a long life. He also played the harmonica and sang songs to the end, practicing, as he said, for the choir in Heaven. Robert is survived by his wife Florence Marie Stucker (Bowles) - married 76 years, by their son Virgil and wife Elisabeth, by their four children Dominic, Christoph, Heidi and Stephanie and their spouses; Esme, Sarah, Sutton and Matthew and by eight great grandchildren; Belle, Moira, Tiegen, Maddox, Olivia, Rebekah, Eliana, and Cass (soon a ninth.) A visitation will be held 4:00 P.M.-6:00 P.M. at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home - McCalley Chapel in Adel on Thursday, March 3, 2022. A funeral service will be held 10:30 A.M. at the First United Methodist Church on Friday, March 4, 2022 with burial following the service. Due to some family members being immunocompromised, those in attendance are requested to wear a mask. Those considering a memorial donation in Robert's memory are suggested to donate to the First United Methodist Church in Adel https://adelumc.org/. Online condolences may be left at www.caldwellparrish.com