Braesch, Robert Otto (1954-2010)
BRAESCH, WENCK, PETERSON, BOWMAN, SHARP, CASKEY
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 8/9/2010 at 22:32:43
Robert Otto Braesch - Feb. 16, 1954 - July 8, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Robert Otto Braesch was born Feb. 16, 1954, in Storm Lake. He was the 6th and last child born to Arvid Otto and Alvira Jean (Wenck) Braesch. Robert was baptized at St. John's Lutheran Church, rural Albert City, on March 21st, 1954. This event began the lifelong relationship he had with his God that continued throughout his illness. Bob also had a relationship with his godparents, Ralph and Lydia Carlson, that became deeper throughout his life. He was confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church on April 7, 1968, by the Reverend Carl Wenger, his mentor, pastor and very dear friend.
Bob attended all 13 years of school at the Albert City-Truesdale School. While in school, he was active in music, speech, wrestling, and especially FFA. He graduated from high school in 1972 and spent two summers working for the Lake Patrol at Lake Okoboji. Bob attended a couple of semesters at the junior college in Ankeny and took college classes in various areas throughout his life.
On June 8, 1974, Bob married Rebecca Peterson at the United Methodist Church in Laurens. They spent the first year of their married life on an acreage at rural Albert City where Bob was employed at Poca Vista and worked as a carpenter with his great uncle, John Petersen. In September of 1975, Bob began working for Heetland Electric in Laurens, and the couple moved to Laurens.
In July of 1978, Bob and Becky became the parents of a son, Joseph Arvid. In September of 1981, daughter, Betsy Lou was born. Bob loved being a father. He had so much fun with his children. In October of 1981, he accepted employment at Positech Corporation in Laurens where he was still employed at the time of his death. Positech was the perfect fit for Bob.
One of his favorite parts of the job was helping with the entertainment at some of the Christmas parties. In his life's travels, he soon began selling what he had serviced. He was encouraged to form the integrated solutions part of Positech and run that area of the company, which he did and loved every minute of it. He loved the challenges his job presented to him. In the first part of 2004, he joined a group of fellow employees in purchasing Positech from Columbus McKinnon.
Bob would often take one or both of the kids with him to Positech on the weekends to help him out with some project or another, and they both learned to run a video camera at an early age to help Dad with his customer videos that he made on weekends.
Bob especially enjoyed sharing Positech with his family by entertaining his customers in his home over the years. When customers came into Laurens to look at the equipment they had purchased, they could not always find a place open to enjoy an evening of fellowship and dinner, so Bob began asking Becky if he could bring them home. Thus began a tradition of many home cooked meals for many customers over the years. Most left at the end of the night good friends and regular customers.
While Joe and Betsy attended college at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Bob and Becky began attending Bearcat football games and became die hard fans. They spent many hours on the road to and from games.
In November of 2002, Joe married Angie Bowman. In September of 2006, Betsy married Weston Sharp.
Bob loved teaching his 2 sons anything he could about how to make something work with nothing.
On May 23 of 2007, Bob and Becky became grandparents! At a very early age, Kyla Necile became one of Bob's favorite persons.
Bob served on the board of trustees of the Laurens Light Plant for 23 years and as chairman of the board for the communication utility since its inception. He was instrumental in the forming of the communications utility when it was put to a vote to the citizens of Laurens. Bob was very proud of these services he had helped Laurens secure for its citizens. He enjoyed the many acquaintances he made with this group and the things they were able to learn and do for the area.
When Joe and Betsy were both busy building new lives of their own, Bob was looking for a little hobby, and he decided to attend a training school offered by the bishop's office to become a Lutheran lay pastor. He and Becky used this as an experience to make many new friends as Bob filled in at St. John's at Palmer, Our Savior's at Rembrandt, Immanuel at Alta, St. John's at rural Albert City, Grace in Marathon, and, of course, Bethany in Laurens. He also filled an odd Sunday here and there in other churches in the area. This was a ministry he really enjoyed along with meeting all the people at the churches.
After a bout of pneumonia, follow up appointments were booked with the pulmonologist in Fort Dodge, who, on Aug. 6th, 2009, informed Bob and Becky that Bob had an inoperable malignant tumor in the upper lobe of his right lung. Bob began chemo treatment on September 3 at St. Anthony's Hospital in Carroll with the John Stoddard Cancer Center out of Des Moines. As always, Bob used this experience to make lots more new friends and the doctors and nurses that became a regular part of his and Becky's lives soon became dear friends.
Many experiences were shared including the birth of 2 new grandchildren. Kaelen Derek Braesch was born to Joe and Angie on Nov. 17, 2009, and Gwendolyn Kate Sharp joined Wes and Betsy on Nov. 28, 2009. Bob really enjoyed being there shortly after both their births.
Bob passed away on July 8, 2010, at 11:06 a.m. in the Pocahontas Hospital.
He is survived by his wife, Becky; his sons, Joe and Wes; his daughters, Betsy and Angie; his grandchildren, Kyla, Kaelen and Gwen; and his cat, Stud Junior. He is also survived by his mother, Alvira Braesch, of Albert City; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Bill and Lou Ann Peterson, of Laurens; his brothers, Tom, Terry, Steve, Scott, and Brent; his sisters Carol, Nancy, Karen, Kathy, Letha, and Lori; his god children, Morgan Darrow, Spencer Darrow, Randal Leistikow, Jason Braesch, and Blake Manwarren; his aunts, Darleen Caskey, Wilma Wenck, and Phylis Braesch; his uncle Dewayne Peterson; many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins, and many special friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Arvid Braesch, grandparents, Herman and Lena Braesch and Daniel and Katherine Wenck; brother Damon Peterson; dear friend, Greg Porath and other family members.
Services for Bob were held on Sunday, July 11, 2010, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Laurens.
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