Robert K. Lenker

Bob and his first wife Joan raised a family of four children: Mona, John, Ruth, and Teri. In 1983 Bob married Marcia and together they raised her three daughters: Heidi, Leisel, and Kirsten.

Two of his sisters survive him, Mary and Naoma and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Bob grew up as a farm boy in Ohio. In high school, he shared his singing voice in the Mixed Chorus and Glee Club. He also played catcher for Jackson High School’s baseball team. In his junior year in 1946, he served as a Merchant Marine for a project sponsored by the Church of the Brethren delivering cattle by ship to Greece in an effort to help rebuild the country’s farm life after World War II.

At age 19, his life was transformed when he committed it to Jesus Christ. He obtained degrees at Manchester College and Bethany Seminary in Chicago and later became a pastor, followed by a missionary commitment through the Church of the Brethren in Ecuador. Bob’s first love was Jesus. Anyone who sat at his table heard about his Lord, and Bob was forever on a campaign for Him.

Upon returning to the States, Bob taught high school Spanish in several different areas in the Northwest, including Priest Lake, Idaho; Summerville, Oregon; the Astoria, Oregon area and Roseburg, Oregon.

He worked for two years for the Army Corp of Engineers in Astoria. He also contracted remodeling and repair projects. He designed and built his own homes in Summerville and Glide, Oregon.

When he retired in 1996, he and his wife served as Peace Corp volunteers in Russia Far East for two years teaching English to college students in the Ussuriysk Pedagogical Institute. Back home again, he served briefly as an interpreter for the Douglas County judicial system, served on the Missionary Committee at Hucrest Community Church of God, authored a book entitled LifePrint Again, and took up gold mining as a hobby.

A celebration of life for Bob will be held at North Umpqua Bible Fellowship, 1547 Wild River Dr., Roseburg, Oregon, on Saturday, March 25, at 1 p.m.