Robert Selle

Robert Selle Son, Brother, Uncle, World War II Veteran, Union Plumber, Husband, Great Uncle, Great-Great Uncle, Neighbor & Friend. Bob practiced love in all things. He loved and was loved by so many. “Bobby”, as he was always known to his mother, was born August 29 1926 in Halliday, North Dakota. The youngest of six children, he was preceded by four brothers and a sister. Bob grew up on the family’s 1,200 acre ranch, helping to raise cattle and grain crops. He also created an occasional bit of mischief. ‘Dad was a bit hot when he caught me ducking under barbed wire fence while skiing through the barn yard. It made for a longer run and more speed’ Due to increased access to transportation, Bob and his sister Christine were the first siblings to complete High School. After graduating in 1944, Bob joined the US Army and arrived in the Southern Philippines near the end of World War II. Bob’s troop was tasked with ‘mopping up’ the last of the Japanese forces in that area. An effort that occasioned the only shot Bob ever fired in ‘anger’; an event that Bob carried the rest of his life. Weeks before his 19th birthday, Bob was on a troop ship destined for the invasion of Japan, a campaign that few onboard were optimistic of surviving, when the Japanese surrender was announced and the ship was diverted to Korea. Bob served the balance of his military service there. From his discharge record: (Bob) was for a period of 10 months a cook with the 1st Infantry Regiment stationed at Taegu, Korea. In this capacity, assisted by two other cooks ant three cooks helpers, prepared three meals daily for a complement of 165 men. Was able to prepare all types of meats, vegetables, fowl and soups into appetizing dishes, working with a limited quantity and selection of rations and preparing the meal to conform to a predetermined menu. A gasoline burning field range for cooking. Was responsible for punctuality of the meals, kitchen sanitation and proper garbage disposal. Separating from the Army in November of 1946, at Fort Lewis, Washington, Bob followed his brother Milton to Oregon where he found a variety of jobs in construction and maintenance and eventually focused on plumbing. During a stint in Coulton, Oregon, Bob met and wooed the love of his life. Maxine Margret Thompson ‘was as pretty a woman as I’d ever seen’. They were married on September 18, 1948 and only parted when Maxine died of complications from severe arthritis, in January 2011. B Bob had to follow the work to Washington, Northern California, and various locations in Oregon. Some of his more memorable jobs included installing new plumbing mains beneath the streets of Portland and extending lines in San Francisco. In those years he had been made supervisor for a crew. Occasionally he would reminisce about the quick sand in Portland and the near tragedies that occurred when working with a crew around such dangerous ground, or about the building of Bart in San Francisco. He had decades of stories, all with a gentle reminder as the punch line that reminded the listener to use their common sense or to remember that safety comes first. Always returning to Lane County, first to their 25 foot trailer in southwest Springfield and then to the home that they had built in the outskirts of Southwest Eugene. Following a two and a half year apprenticeship, Bob became a licensed plumber in his early 30’s and was later instrumental in developing the local plumber’s apprenticeship program in a formal school setting. He later directed the school and taught many a new plumber. Bob and Maxine enjoyed traveling and loved their family, often combining the two passions in the form of road trips to visit family. Often they joined with family in travel ventures. ‘I treasure the memory of driving back to North Dakota with Uncle Bob and Aunt Maxine in my early teens’ says their nephew Art. Interestingly, their travels never crossed the Mississippi and only crossed the border to Canada. Cruising to Alaska and around Hawaii were special trips that provided many fond memories. As Bob’s church was always particularly important to him and maintenance came naturally, he took great joy in spending many hours maintaining the grounds, especially when in the company of fellow Sod Squad members. Chasing leaks and championing the care of the church plumbing and heating system kept him busy. Bob: ‘When a woodpecker started damaging the roof, I finally had to climb up and block his access with wire mesh, first in the spot where he started and then all the way around as he kept moving.’ Bob knew every nail and board in his church and often was called upon to supervise workers, lend a bit of vision toward the enhancement of the building, or design or implement a solution. He was deeply respected and his input in the workings and maintenance of the church were highly valued. When Maxine’s arthritis became debilitating in 2008, Bob was dedicated to her care in all ways. Her passing in 2011 was very difficult for Bob. While Bob rarely asked for help for himself, (due in part to his Norwegian heritage) it was his connection to family, church and friends that helped him through. As Bob’s health waned, in addition to the connections listed above, Meals-on-Wheels and their tireless volunteers provided nutrition and a connection to the ‘world’. A failing vertebrae in Bob’s lower back, most likely damaged during a cargo handling mishap while Bob was in the Philippines, became a constant source of pain over the last few years. ‘While he acknowledged that his back was painful, he rarely complained. Most often one had to have very attentive listening skills to appreciate the extent of his discomfort’. Bob died peacefully on Sunday afternoon, March 8th the same way that he lived: with grace and Love. Supported by family and friends both near and far, and the caring medical staff at Riverbend Hospital. As the last of the five brothers to pass, Bob is survived by his sister who lives in San Francisco and by many nieces and nephews. Donations can be made: ‘In Memory of Robert Selle’ to Meals on Wheels Eugene, 862 Bethel Drive, Eugene OR 97402 or call Susan at the American Red Cross Meals on Wheels program at 541.607.5065