G.R. "Bob" Batcheller 1940 - 2018

PANGBORN, BATCHELLER, SMITH

Posted By: Connie Swearingen -Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/20/2018 at 15:11:20

Sioux City Journal
29 July 2015

SIOUX CITY | G.R. "Bob" Batcheller, 75, of Sioux City, passed away Monday, July 27, 2015, at a Sioux City nursing home.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church, with Pastor Roger Madden officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Logan Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Condolences may be left at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Bob was born May 23, 1940, and had the wonderful opportunity to be adopted by George R. and Dorothy (Pangborn) Batcheller.

He attended Bryant Grade School, North Junior High, Central High School for one year and Wentworth Military Academy for two years of high school, graduating in 1958. He attended two years at Wentworth Military Junior College, graduating in 1960 at the rank of captain as a company commander. Upon his graduation, he was awarded the Burr Medal for leadership, which was awarded annually to one person in the Corps of Cadets.

He enrolled in Morningside College in 1961 and upon the untimely death of his father, quit college to become general manager of the family business, Concrete Products Co. He was chairman/CEO of the company from 1961 until his death.

He married Kathern Smith in 1962.

In 1969, he went back to Morningside College, graduating in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree and a double major in history and economics. In 1973, he was awarded the Outstanding Young Man of the Year by the Junior Chamber of Commerce given to a non-Jaycee member. In 1979, he started at the University of South Dakota and graduated with a Master's in Business Administration in 1982. In 1992, he attended paralegal classes at Morningside College.

Bob served as president of the Sioux City Construction League in 1977, and as president of the Sioux City Industrial Development Council from 1979 to 1981, the year General Motors came to Sioux City. He became a board member of Security National Bank in 1981 and served as chairman of the credit review committee. In 1988, he was campaign chairman for United Way of Siouxland, raising $1,761,000 for Siouxland's social agencies.

He served as a director of the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce from 1987 to 1990. He was president of Greater Siouxland Inc. in 1992 and served as a director for six years. He initiated the GSLI National Merit Scholarship Program for Siouxland schools and also the Leadership 2000 Program for people under 35 in potential leadership positions. In 1993, he was elected to the Sioux City Community School Board and served as vice president for two years. He was a member of the Yankton (S.D.) Library Foundation.

In 1997, he was elected to the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors and served three terms. In 1998, he was elected as a director of the Security National Corporation and served on its executive, audit, and nominating committees, and as chairman of the compensation committee.

He served as president and director of the Iowa Concrete Masonry Association, and was a three-term board member of the Masonry Institute of Iowa in Des Moines.

Bob was a lifetime member of First United Methodist Church in Sioux City. He was a former member of Landmark Lodge 103, Sioux City Consistory, Abu Bekr Shrine, White Horse Mounted Patrol, and a member of ROJ.

Bob was an avid reader and Harley Road King rider. He enjoyed spending time at his cabin on Lewis and Clark Lake in Yankton, and in the Florida Keys. He ate, slept and breathed the construction industry, banking, finance and computers. Bob knew and liked many people and laughed a lot.

Bob rode in the White Horse Mounted Patrol for 11 years, from the 1961 Rose Bowl Parade to the 1972 Presidential Inaugural Parade. He toured China in 1977 with a trade group as a guest of the Chinese government, less than a year after Mao died.

Shortly before his death, he was asked about his life and he said, "It's been a great ride. I have been so fortunate to have had a wonderful family, many friends and many business friends of my father who were more than willing to counsel, support and mentor me during my early years in the business. It was these people and many more who were the secret to my success and my achieving what I was able to do."

Survivors include a son, Bob (Jeanne) Batcheller of Sioux City and their sons, Nicholas, Reeder and Robbie Batcheller, and Anthony, Christopher and Justin Krueger; a daughter, Connie (Paul) Schenk of Colorado Springs, Colo., and their children, Jason and Trinity Schenk, and Adam Batcheller of Sioux City; and a sister, Sharon (Elmer) Ratliff of Fairhope, Ala.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Pallbearers will be Bob's grandsons, Nick, Reeder, Robbie and Adam Batcheller, and Anthony, Christopher and Justin Krueger.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jack Aalfs, Jim Browning, Bill Burke, Jon Cleghorn, John Gleeson, Gene Hagen, Patty Heagel, Shirley McCormick, Doug Rice, Don Ronfeldt, Kevin Vaughan and Kathy Wacheldorf.

Bob's family respectfully requests that gifts be in the form of memorial donations to the Sioux City Library Foundation or Girls, Inc.

A special thanks to Dr. Rosenkrans and staff, and the staff at North Park Assisted Living and Westwood Nursing and Rehab.