Robert R. Laux

A hard worker and a friend to everyone he met, Robert Bob Laux was truly a good man. Bob was a lifelong farmer, and just as the sun and the rain nourished his crops, Bobs kind words and mischievous sense of humor nurtured the souls of those around him. Nothing was ever too much trouble for Bob, and he delighted in helping out his friends and family members. Husband and father, grandfather and friend, Bob touched many lives. He will be deeply missed.

By 1943, the United States had plunged into World War II, and manufacturers around the country proved to be as efficient at producing war goods as they had been at consumer goods and assembly line cars. Millions of women became employed in jobs left empty as men joined the forces, and rationing of goods such as meat, cheese, and butter was instituted around the country. In the midst of these troubled times, a gleam of light shined through for proud parents Robert A. and Pauline (Schuman) Laux, as they welcomed their newborn son, Robert, into the world on September 4, 1943.

Young Robert, or Bob as he was soon nicknamed, started out life on his maternal grandparents farm in Huntington County. His father was overseas at the time, fighting for his country in WWII. Bob turned out to be a natural farmer, and loved helping his grandfather out around the farm. Once Robert senior returned home safe and sound, the family moved to Whitley County, and Bob attended school in Coesse.

The years flew by, and before he knew it Bob was a young man starting high school. Athletic and sociable, Bob enjoyed participating in sports all year round: he played on the school football, basketball, and baseball teams. He was also active in several student associations, including Future Farmers of America and the Science Club. Of course, in his free time Bob continued to farm he had discovered this passion early in life, and his enthusiasm never waned! Bob graduated from Columbia City Joint High School in 1961.

When he wasnt hard at work farming, Bob liked to kick up his heels at the local dance halls. One evening, Bob and his friend Leon Brown went out to a dance place in Covington Down, in the countryside just outside of Ft. Wayne. Leons younger sister, Laura Lee, was also at the dance, and of course Bob had to ask her to dance. Laura must have made quite an impression, since the following Monday she stepped off the school bus to see Bob waiting for her! The rest is history, and the young sweethearts were married on June 6, 1964, at St Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in Columbia City.

It wasnt long before Bob and Lauras small family began to grow, and as the years went by they were blessed with five children: Robert, Randall, Rita, Kenneth, and Joseph. Bob and Laura also gave birth to a sixth child, Deborah Jean, but tragically she passed away in infancy. The Laux family soon outgrew their small house, and moved to their current residence in 1978 (in the midst of a raging blizzard, as luck would have it!). Bob supported his family by working at BF Goodrich, where he was a loyal employee for 31 years.

In his free time, Bob was an avid sports enthusiast. He always kept up with the games, and it was not uncommon for him to string up a 1,000-foot extension cord out to wherever he was working in order to set up the TV. You didnt know what a dedicated fan was until you had met Bob in one memorable incident, he brought the TV all the way up to the roof for a re-roofing project! His favorite teams included Notre Dame football, the Pittsburgh Steelers, IU basketball and ANY team playing against his sworn enemy: the Ohio State Buckeyes.

After retiring from Goodrich in 1993, Bob went on to work for the State Highway Department for a further 15 years. This was right up Bobs alley, since anything with wheels and a stick-shift fascinated him. He loved driving all kinds of trucks dairy, fertilizer, state highway, box and was a regular at local tractor pulls. Closer to home, Bob was a proud grandpa, and active in the lives of his grandchildren. With his wife watching all of the grandchildren, Bob was blessed to have the opportunity to see his grandchildren every day.He loved having family over, be it for a game of Euchre, fishing or volleyball with the grandkids, or a big family meal.

Kind, hard-working, and with a ready smile for everyone he met, Bob was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, a loyal friend, and a farmer to the bone. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members.

Robert Bob Roman Laux died on April 17, 2015, at the age of 71, following a farming accident involving a tractor. Bobs family includes his loving wife of 50 years, Laura Laux; his children, Robert (Rhonda) Laux of Columbia City, Randall (Debra) Laux of Columbia City, Rita (Dan) Dailey of Columbia City, Kenneth (Diana) Laux of Columbia City, and Joseph (Jessica) Laux of South Whitley; his siblings, Charlie (Sherri) Laux of Ashley, Susie (Robert) Hudson of Ft. Wayne, John (Joanne) Laux of Brookfield, WI, and Judy (Rod) Powell of Ft. Wayne; his grandchildren, Robert "Bradley", Rachel, Brittany, Derek Hauck, Jenna Shenefield, Dezer-Ray, Sam, Kyle, Rebecca, Brooke, JoLyn, Kaleb, Brianna, Kameron, and Jackson; and his great-grandchildren, Kiera, Kallie, and a great-grandson on the way. Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his infant daughter, Deborah Jean Laux; and his infant grandson, Matthew James Dailey.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, from 2 to 8 p.m. at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2015. Memorial donations in Bobs memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association.