Robert "Bob" S. Evans

Robert (Bob) Spencer Evans, age 86 of Randolph, died Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at home with Nancy and Steve Biesenthal, his youngest daughter and her husband, and their dog, Wilbur, at his side. A celebration of Bob's life will be held at Kratz-Smedema Funeral Home in Cambria on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at noon with Rev. Linda Heisler officiating. Burial will follow in Randolph Cemetery with military rites conducted by John E. Miller American Legion Post 146 of Beaver Dam. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Robert was born on Dec. 22, 1929, in Columbus, the son of Evan Spencer and Mary Ellen (Williams) Evans. Bob is a member of the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Randolph. He attended school in Randolph and was a 1947 graduate of Randolph High School. He was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Leatrice Mary Fromholz, on Sept. 16, 1950 at St. Michael's Rectory in Beaver Dam. Robert was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who put providing for and enjoying his family first. After high school Bob worked for 3 years at Barker Lumber & Fuel in Randolph. Two months after their marriage Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army serving during the Korean Conflict as a Military Policeman stationed at Fort Sheridan, IL and Fort Leavenworth, KS. Bob was active duty in the US Army, Company A of the 174th MP Battalion Jan 1951- Dec 1952 until discharged from service. He was finally discharged from the Army Reserve Nov 1956. In 1952 he joined the John E. Miller American Legion Post 146 in Beaver Dam. On October 10, 2015 Bob went on the Wisconsin Badger Honor Flight out of Madison. In 1953 Bob, Lea, and Linda moved to Beaver Dam. Bob started working at Fullerton Lumber Company (Today known as The Builder's Choice A Fullerton Company). He started as Ass't Mgr from 1953-1958 and then took over as manager until 1964 when he went on the road as Regional Manager for Fullerton's. 1964-l986 Bob traveled parts of 5 states and was responsible for the operations of 9-18 Fullerton Lumberyards. Bob has kept an eye on the transition of the Fullerton building as it was recreated into the new Beaver Dam Senior Center. It was his wish to walk through and join the Watermark where he spent many years working and making friends in Beaver Dam. In 1965 Bob and Lea moved the 4 girls and Lea's mother back to their hometown, Randolph, as Bob continued to travel for Fullerton's. 1987 Bob was forced into early retirement due to surgery for a Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. He didn't let that stop him. He's had almost 30 extra years of adventures. He learned to golf creating fun outings for his daughters, their husbands, and his grandchildren. Lea even joined him swinging a club now and then. Bob was a member of the Sunset Hills Golf Course/Beaver Dam Country Club in Beaver Dam and the Fox Lake Country Club where he golfed and traveled to nearby golf courses as part of the Fairweather Foursome with Bob Lloyd, Don Reif, and Kurt Lambrecht. Bob served on the Randolph Village Planning Board for 8 years. In March of 1996 he was elected to serve as Village Trustee until 2000. Bob only served a quarter of the time his father did as Village Trustee, but oversaw 3 building projects in Randolph: refurbishing the Hutchinson Memorial Library and the public safety building for police fire and EMS, plus construction of the new village hall. "These projects required lot of time, WHAT FUN, it was almost like being back at work once again." Bob wrote in his family history book. Bob was proud of his Welsh heritage. Grandson Chris made a Welsh Dragon sign that Bob lovingly displayed above his garage door. Bob believed that he was the last full-blooded Welshman living within the Randolph Village limits after his good friend, Bob Lloyd, passed on. Upon getting a computer in 1990 Bob needed a hobby. Bob and Lea started researching; first the pioneering family of the Owen Owens family that came to Wisconsin in 1845. One book led to others as they called, mailed, and traveled the country researching 6 different lineages of their combined families. 2013 found Bob, wheelchair bound, traveling to Anglesey, Wales with his daughter, Linda, and granddaughter, Kim, to meet cousins he never knew on his grandfather Hugh Williams side. Special thanks to Julie Robert of Anglesey who arranged a family reunion in Holyhead. Bob always had a huge smile on his face when he talked about this trip. Bob and Lea loved to travel driving in the early years and flying since retirement. Family vacations were a yearly highlight with the girls. Upon retirement there were years that contained several vacations. The most recent were trips from San Francisco to San Diego w/o a map, Minneapolis several times, Fort Worth, TX. Bob loved to have family over to celebrate and was happy to show off his skill on the Holland Grill. He was proud of his family home and constantly had a little improvement project going. Bob celebrated he 86th birthday at Mader's with his daughters and girl cousins from Milwaukee. Daddy to his daughters, Robert, will be sadly missed by his four daughters, Linda Evans of Randolph, Elaine (Philip) Hendrickson of Cambria, Mary (Donald) Wenzel of Menomonee Falls, and Nancy (Steve) Biesenthal of Markesan; three grandchildren, Christophor (Sara) Hendrickson of Cambria, Kimberly (Christopher Dietz) and Bradley (Kristin Stephan) Wenzel of Menomonee Falls; one great-granddaughter, Hailey Hendrickson of Cambria; one sister, Shirley Straks of Waupun; nieces and nephews, many cousins from coast to coast and in Wales, U.K., along with many dear friends. Robert was preceded in death by the love of his life, Leatrice, in 2006, his parents, Spencer and Mary Ellen, and Lea's parents, Edward and Frances (Wenta) Fromholz, one brother-in-law, Dale Straks, and three sister-in-laws and their husbands, Helen (Frank) Koboski, Bernice (Myron) Welch, and Phyllis (Eugene) Wallintin. Besides seeing the inside of the Watermark Bob had planned to eat at the renovated Edgewater Hotel in Madison, travel to the auto show in Chicago, take a driving trip to visit the sites of his old lumberyards, attend the upcoming weddings of his two grandchildren, in Sept he wanted to go to Calgary, Canada for a Welsh sing fest, and wait for summer so he could use his Holland grill to feed and entertain his family. Bob requested memorials made in his honor to Badger Honor Flight in Madison, to Bethany Presbyterian Church in Randolph, American Legion John E. Miller Post No. 146, or a cancer organization of your choice. We would like to thank Dr. Peter Timmermans, Chief Michael Klavekoske, Randolph EMS, Elaine Anderson, Stacy Quade, and Katrina Hartline for all the special care and loving care you extended to our dad. Service: Saturday February 6, 2016 at 12:00pm Kratz-Smedema Funeral Home 323 Mary St. Cambria, WI 53923 Visitation: Saturday February 6, 2016 10:00am - 12:00pm Kratz-Smedema Funeral Home 323 Mary St. Cambria, WI 53923