Pastor Robert J. Weber

Pastor Robert J. Weber, passed away at the age of 98 on Saturday, March 28 at Valley Senior Living on 42nd Avenue South, Grand Forks.

Robert J. Weber was the youngest of four children born to Fred and Helen (Wartchow) Weber on January 15, 1928, at Milwaukee, Wi. He was baptized and confirmed his faith at St. Marcus Lutheran Church and attended St. Marcus School through the eighth grade. He attended and graduated from Rufus King High School.

In 1945, he enrolled at Marquette University in Milwaukee. After one year of college, he was drafted into the army where he served in the US Army Occupation Forces in Japan.

Upon discharge from service, he re-entered Marquette University and graduated with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree in the fall of 1949.

He worked as a structural engineer for Worden Allen Structural Steel Co. of Milwaukee and Allentown, PA for seven years. During these years, he was active in the young adult group at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Sensing a call to full-time ministry, he attended Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis for one year.

He entered Luther Theological Seminary St. Paul, MN in the fall of 1957. During seminary years, he worked part-time at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis where he met Olive Bjugstad. They were married in a double wedding at the church in May 1960.

Upon graduation from seminary and ordination in 1961, Pastor Bob served the Brocket-Lawton Lutheran parish at Brocket, ND through 1967. He was called to establish and served as the first pastor of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Devils Lake, ND serving there for six years. In 1973, he was called to University Lutheran Church in Grand Forks which he served until retiring in 1992.

Pastor Bob had a passion for prayer, preaching, Christian education and Bible camp ministry. In addition to pastoral ministry, he designed new church buildings at Brocket and Lawton, the Ofstedal Winter Retreat Center at Red Willow Bible Camp in addition to numerous remodeling projects for churches in Eastern ND. He rejoiced that six of his confirmands entered full-time Christian ministry. Through the years, he served on numerous synod and community boards.

Bob and Olive are the parents of three children; Steve (Angela), Karen (Pete) and Kathy (John). They have four grandchildren: Zachary, Justine (Brock), Jacob (Lynze) and Kara (Shay) and four step grandchildren, Brittany (Chad), Brock, Maxwell (Taylor) and Jorgen (Christine) and great grandchildren, Riann, Owen, Declan, Kallie, Sutton and step great granddaughters Eleanor and Wrenley. His family brought him much joy through the years.

Interests for Bob included: camping with family and friends, gardening, woodworking, photography and reading. In retirement, he provided supply preaching to age 85 and combined his computer skills and photography to create inspirational cards for family and friends.

Bob is survived by his wife and immediate family members, sister-in-law Ruth Shutter and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Adeline, Leona, Fred and their spouses, niece Beth and nephews Bruce and Jim.

Throughout his ministry he will be remembered by the theme "Blessed to be a Blessing." In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Red Willow Bible Camp, Binford, ND or Chaplaincy at Valley Senior Living, Grand Forks, ND.

Services will be held, Tuesday, April 7 at 1:00 p.m. at the chapel at Valley Senior Living on 42nd St., Grand Forks. Visitation will be held an hour prior to the service,

Special thanks to the staff of Prairie View Neighborhood for the excellent compassionate care, Pastor Bud Johnson for his ministry, the Visitation Ministry from University Lutheran Church, and Dr. Joshua Deere and Nurse Heather for their gracious care through the years.

Private family burial will be in the Devils Lake Cemetery, Devils Lake, ND.