Robert Boeckel

Robert (Bob) Raphael Boeckel, 91, passed away with family by his side at CHI St. Alexius Health, Bismarck on September 5, 2018. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 24 at Faith Lutheran Church, 1402 E. Ave. C, Bismarck. Visitation will be will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 pm Monday, September 24, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Bob was born on October 15, 1926, in Beulah, ND to Peter and Louise (Mohl) Boeckel. Bob’s formative years coincided with the Great Depression and were marked with hard work on the farm alongside his 13 brothers and sisters. He graduated from Beulah High School and served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1947, performing paratrooper exercises in Korea.   Bob met his wife, Ilene Teske, on a blind date and was captured by her smile and gentle manner. They were married on October 28, 1951, and built a full and rich life together. They enjoyed dancing, playing cards, and hosting countless holiday feasts for immediate and extended family. Bob and Ilene raised two sons, doted on four grandchildren, and cherished time with several great-grandchildren. They were married almost 62 years when Ilene passed away in 2013. Bob was a faithful caretaker for his beloved wife, especially in the latter years as her health declined. Bob was a humble man, was never afraid of hard work, and in fact enjoyed it. Throughout his life, he took on many interesting jobs including work on an electric utility crew, at a tree nursery, driving taxi and delivery trucks, and as church bookkeeper. Most notably, Bob worked for the United States Postal Service for 40 years as a clerk and data analyst. He also worked simultaneously for H & R Block for 25 years. Bob was a master gardener, canner, carpenter, mechanic, recycler, and collector. He could often be found tending to the garden or tinkering in the garage. Bob was very proud of the bounties of his garden and enjoyed sharing them with others. He could fix nearly anything, and was willing to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever needed. Every day, he enjoyed clipping and solving the daily crossword puzzles. Highlights of Bob’s later years included participating in the Honor Flight Network veteran’s trip to Washington, DC, and traveling to California for his 89th birthday to visit his grandson Oliver at Stanford University.   Bob was a longtime member of the Elks, AmVets, American Legion, VFW, and Faith Lutheran Church. Bob is survived by a sister, Lorretta Teske; two sons and daughters-in-law, Brant and Jane, Bismarck, and Craig and Marty, Bismarck; four grandchildren, Jennifer (Corey Hedland) Boeckel, Sarah (Adam) Baso, Josh (Sarah) Vallely, Oliver (Kristen Goulet) Boeckel; and seven great-grandchildren, Beckett and Grayson Hedland, Elise and Mira Baso, and Lauren, Addison and Jacob Vallely. He was preceded in death by his wife Ilene, his parents, infant daughter Debra, three brothers (Thomas, Arnold, and Harold), and nine sisters (Sarah Wiedrich, Rachel Fuhrman, Erna Reich, Lorraine Pfenning, Olga Boeckel, Hilda Mohl, Lenora Schulz, Berniece Pfenning, and Virginia Ouzts). In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bob’s honor are preferred to the ND Veteran’s Cemetery or the Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center.