The funeral is over
Robert Dale Erb was born October 13, 1926 to Mose and Ida Erb in Beaver Crossing, Neb. He was the sixth of 11 children.When Gramps was about 8, the family moved south of Shickley. Shortly there after, the family moved north of Shickley, to Martland, where Gramps attended school. At 12 years old, Ida passed away and his older sister took care of the family. His father instilled a sense of family, which generated to our present family.
On June 13,1945, he was drafted and chose to be a non-combatant in the Army for World War II. He worked at Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver, before being assigned to Ft. Eustis, VA. From there Gramps worked as an aide on a medical ship, which voyaged to France and returned loaded with wounded. After his stint aboard the ship, Gramps worked in the motor pool where he tested potential Army truck drivers. When testing the drivers, he always said that if they "jammed the brakes or ground the gears," he'd flunk the people being tested.
He was discharged in October of 1946 and returned back to the Shickley area.
He married Mary Troyer on August 25, 1949. In 1951, the couple had their first child Kathy. In 1952, the family moved to the Geneva area where Gramps took up farming. Their second child Jim was born in 1953 followed by their third child, Lori in 1957. On the farm, they had a little bit of everything from a few chickens, to hogs, cattle and even horses.
During the time when Gramps was farming, his family became wonderful friends with the Kimbrough family. The two families were intertwined for many years as the children played together, and the parents worked together or helped one another. From playing croquet under the lights after the farming was done, to watching the kids take part in the Saddle Club, or even playing pitch after the winter chores were finished, the Erbs and the Kimbroughs were often together.
When Gramps's kids had an interest in something, he always tried to accommodate his kids in the best way he could. He took a genuine interest in seeing his children happy. Kathy received her first horse, Jim ended up with a go-cart, but by the time "Pee-Wee" Lori came along, it seemed she got everything she wanted.
In January of 1966 the time came for farmers to either buy more land and new equipment or pursue other interests. Grandma had attended the Hesston academy and loved the community so the family packed up and moved to Hesston. Gramps worked in the Post Office part time and at the local Ford dealership, eventually working full time at the dealership. During 1969, Gramps built and managed the local mobile home park until 1982. Once again, the selling of cars called him back to various dealerships until 2005.
Grandpa was a kind and gentle soul. One of the fairest people ever to walk this earth, he took a real joy in helping people, a task he often did behind the scenes. In his fairness came his attitude of "Don't be critical," a way of thinking that Gramps always had. He was always the rock of the family, often in the background, but always a quiet strength on which to lean on. Never needing any personal accolades, he was satisfied with seeing people happy. When asked one time what appealed to him about the selling of cars, he replied that he really liked seeing people happy when he found exactly what they wanted.
That joy of seeing people happy also carried over into the mobile home business because again, he felt a true joy when he could help people, especially young couples that were after their first place to call their own as they just were beginning to get their feet underneath them.
Family was everything to Gramps. He loved spending time with his children, and his grandchildren. A proud grandfather, he attended events, banquets, concerts and last but not least ballgames as best he could. He treasured every moment that he spent with his grandchildren. Gramps and Jesse spent many one on one lunches together and he enjoyed that time immensely.
As one of us tells it, his lap was always a place the grandchildren congregated. Gramps always liked to have one of the girls in his lap. Fortunately as the girls got bigger, there seemed to be another one that was the perfect size to hop up into Grandpa's lap.
Gramps also opened his home to friends and family especially during the holidays, every one from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July. People looked forward to coming to the Erb household for the gatherings.
Gramps loved to laugh. He could tell jokes with the best of them, and he could also laugh at himself with ease. Blessed with a wonderful sense of humor, he could take gentle ribbing but could give as good as he got.
And the sayings. Oh the sayings. No one has ever explained where they came from, or where they originated, but there always seemed to be a saying for every occasion. Once, Dad and Gramps were working on something that they needed a piece of rope about 4-5 feet long. Dad cut a piece of rope and Gramps fixed it with a appraising eye before summing up the situation with "When I go to catch that bull, that rope will be too short," which made no sense because Gramps had no bull to catch.
"Twice around the pump," "Not worth a plugged nickel," have often been uttered if the situation demanded it.
Gramps never lost his sense of humor throughout everything that he battled in his waning days. After his diagnosis he always said of his illness "It's no hill for a climber." Of course, following that, Gramps topped himself with "Don't put me in a box yet." As his illness progressed, Gramps even asked the doctor "Well Doc, is it time to call a spade a spade?"
Even then, his humor prevailed. Once, Grandma dashed him through the house in the wheelchair. Afterwards, he said "Gimme the phone. I'm going to call Skeet." (Gramps's long time local mechanic)
"Why?" she asked.
"I'm gonna see if he can take high gear outta this thing."
When Grandpa was called to heaven, he went willingly and knowingly, not concerned with himself but with how everyone else would be because that's the kind of man he was. And I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that there's a whole bunch of souls driving new cars up in heaven.
posted by Rusty @ 12:13 PM
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