Robert Leslie Quamme

Robert Leslie Quamme died August 3, 2026, at Valley Sr Living after a lengthy struggle to recover from brain surgery.

He was born August 5, 1946, to Herbert and Bernice Quamme in Hettinger, ND. He grew up in a farming family in Adams County. He attended and was confirmed at Richland Lutheran Church. He went to Chandler country school through grade 8, and attended Hettinger HS, graduating in 1964. He enrolled at Jamestown College and graduated in 1968 with a BA degree in Psychology/Sociology. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary the following year. He was married to his college sweetheart, Barbara Piper, in July 1969, and they moved to St Paul, MN where he began studies at Luther Theological Seminary. In 1972, they moved to Grand Forks, ND, for Bob to attend UND. Following his interest in radio, Bob began working for KNOX radio, and later worked at KROX in Crookston, MN. In 1977 they moved to their present home in East Grand Forks, MN. He always claimed it was to get away from the ND winters! He became an insurance agent for Farmers Insurance Group and worked with them for 12 years. For the next 25 years he worked for the US Postal Service, first as mail handler and then as a letter carrier. He retired in 2014.

He continued his interest in radio and became a licensed radio operator (HAM), with an extra class license and the call letters KIKM. He had a special interest in vintage radios and morse code keys. He was a bluegrass banjo and harmonica player, having grown up in a musically versatile family. He loved camping and traveling with his family and over the years visited many state and national parks. A favorite was Itasca State Park in Minnesota where the family did extensive camping, hiking and cross-country skiing. He was a loyal alumnus of University of Jamestown, keeping informed on all their events and athletic teams. He was especially fond of the Jimmie women's and men's basketball teams. He attended many homecoming and class reunion events.

He had a unique sense of humor and loved nothing more than a well-placed pun or a complicated joke. He was a member of the ARRL, the National Association of Letter Carriers and a United Lutheran Church.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Barbara; his sons, Joel (Heather), Peter (Tessa), and David, and a granddaughter, Allison, and grandson, Julian, as well as many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, 2 sisters, Charlotte and Marcelynn, and a brother, Lynn.

Memorials in lieu of flowers can be given to Grand Forks Food Shelf or to the University of Jamestown.

His ashes will be scattered over the Badlands in western ND.

A service to remember and celebrate Bob’s life will be held Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 11:00am at Amundson Funeral Home in Grand Forks, ND. Visitation with the family will be held an hour prior to services, with a lunch to follow.