Journaling says:
For my birthday this year I knew where I needed to go. I was so sad last June to find out that my Great-Uncle Bob had passed away, especially since I didnt get to go to the funeral. My great-Uncle Bob and I shared the same birthday. From the time that I was 10 years old until he passed away we had sent letters and gifts back and forth. I loved hearing his stories about his time in the army during World War II. He was so proud of his children and always talked about them. We met a few times in person. He was such a cool and neat person. I knew I had to go visit his grave and take him one last birthday card. So the day before my birthday Melinda and I drove down to Wauseon, OH. We stopped at Walmart and bought a card, some flowers, and a birthday balloon. The cemetery was beautiful and peaceful. My mom didnt know exactly where he was buried except that it was towards the back. Melinda and I split up and I found it right away. I fought to not cry, but I suddenly missed him so much. He had led such a long and good life. I know I will see him again in heaven and am thankful to have known him.
Obituary says:
C. Robert "Bob" Hollister of Elgin C. Robert "Bob" Hollister, 91, passed away on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at Rosewood Care Center. He was born on April 30, 1920, in Fulton County, Ohio, and was married to Bette Roberts of Toledo, Ohio, on June 20, 1941, at the Congregational Church of Wauseon, Ohio. He entered the military service on July 4, 1942. His training began in Ohio, through Missouri, California desert, Louisiana and New York. Shipping out on the Queen Elizabeth I, along with Champ Joe Lewis and 14,000 other anxious soldiers, landing in Swansea, Wales, on to England, settling in Windsor near the castle. While there, he transferred from the Fourth Armored Signal Battalion to the newly organized First Allied Airborne Army, serving under General Eisenhower, as a courier and airborne glider trooper. His first hostile encounter was in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, after which he was sent to Copenhagen, Denmark, for R&R. Then back to England, then on to LeHarve and Paris, proceeding across France and Germany under General Patton. After he was discharged, he returned home to Ohio and enrolled at the University of Toledo, residing on campus in the veterans' family housing with his wife, his daughter and his soon-to-be-born son. Upon graduating with a BBA degree in 1949, he entered the financial sector of the automotive industry, serving as an auditor in dealerships of Lincoln-Mercury, Oldsmobile, Ford and Jeep. After taking a job with Chrysler, he and his family moved to Elgin in 1962. He retired from Daimler-Chrysler in 1980. He was associated with the Wauseon High School and the University of Toledo Alumni Association. He was also a member of the American Legion of Toledo and the VFW of Elgin. Surviving are his wife, Bette; daughter, Vicke Paluch of Freeport, Ill.; son, Tony (Jill) Hollister of Elgin; grandchildren, Josh (Kristi) Paluch, Tracy (Scott) Billings and Andy Hollister; and great-grandson, Logan Billings. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Maysel Hollister; infant son, Tab Robert; and brothers, Hi and Raleigh. Bob loved life and loved helping people. He had a great sense of humor and loved making people laugh. Bob's venue in life and his message in passing is "Live each day to its fullest, preparing for your own place and glory in His being." Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 23, at the Edgar-Griser Funeral Home, 219 S. Fulton St., Wauseon, Ohio. Burial will follow in the Wauseon Union Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 20, from 5 until 8 p