Obituary printed in Jan 13, 2004 Pilot-Tribune, Blair, NE

Robert O. Scoles, 75

Former Blair resident Robert O. Scoles, 75, died Jan. 8, 2004 in Omaha.

Funeral services were Saturday, Jan. 10, at Alma Lutheran Church in Mead. Interment was at the Alma Lutheran Cemetery.

Robert Otto Scoles was born June 22, 1928, on the family farm at Riverton, Iowa, to Ordray A. and Julia Frances Scoles. The family lost the farm during the Great Depression and moved into Riverton to live. They later moved to Mead, where they opened up a service station on the edge of town. Mr. Scoles attended high school in Mead and played basketball and softball. He graduated in 1946.

During high school, he met Viola Widman. The couple married March 28, 1949, in Mead. They moved into a house near the family’s filling station, where Mr. Scoles worked in a partnership with his father and his brother, Henry. Later, he sold the gas station and worked as a salesman for a petroleum company and also became a lobbyist for the Nebraska Petroleum Companies.

During the 1970’s, he went to work in Fremont as the service manager for Goodyear Tires, and then in Omaha as the service manager for Tires, Inc.

Throughout his life, he was active in the Alma Lutheran Church, serving on the church council, in the choir, and as superintendent of the Sunday School. Some of his community involvements included organizing both the 4-H Club and the Mead Centennial Horse Show. He also worked with the Lutheran Laity Movement out of Chicago as a parish ministry associate. Throughout the years, he helped many churches throughout the country conduct successful stewardship drives. He retired from the Laity Movement when his wife became ill with ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease) in 1998. He remained at home to become his wife’s primary caregiver; she died in June 2002.

On July 26, 2003, Mr. Scoles married Joyce Graybill in Blair. The couple had met at a dance in Lincoln in August of 2002; both had recently lost their spouse. The two continued to enjoy dances together until Mr. Scoles was diagnosed with cancer in October of 2003, when he moved to the Immanuel Fontanelle Home in Omaha, where he was living at the time of his death.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce, of Blair; son Robert D Scoles of Herndon, Va.; daughters and sons-in-law, Paula and Jeff Chostner of Pueblo, Colo., and Cheryl and Paula Jakubowski of Cincinnati, Ohio; stepson and daughter-in-law, Mark and Paul Graybill of Westlake Village, Calif.; stepdaughter and son-in-law, Nancy and David Pares of Omaha; sister, Eletha Beam of Elkhorn; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and four step-grandchildren.

In addition to his first wife, Viola, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Henry and O.A. Scoles Jr., sisters, Ila Coslett, Norma Duncan and Lona Schulz.

Memorials are suggested to the PMA Program at Alma Lutheran Church or the Stephen Ministry at St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Pruss-Nabity Funeral Home of Wahoo was in charge of arrangements.

Obituary in Feb. 8, 2004 Omaha World-Herald

Scoles—Robert O.,age 75, Blair, NE, formerly of Mead, NE. Preceded in death by wife, Viola. Survived by wife, Joyce, Blair, NE; son, Robert D., Herndon, VA; daughters Paula (Jeff) Chostner, Pueblo, CO, Cheryl (Paul) Jakubowski, Cincinnati, OH; sister, Eletha Beam, Elkhorn, NE; stepson, Mark (Paula) Graybill, Westlak Village, CA; stepdaughter, Nancy (David) Pares, Omaha; 4 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; 4 step-grandchildren.

Funeral service 10:30 am Sat Alma Lutheran Church, Mead, NE. Burial Alma Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation Fri 6-8 pm at Funeral Home. Memorials to PM A Program at Alma Lutheran Church or Stephen’s Ministries at St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Pruss-Nabity Funeral Home Wahoo, NE 402-443-3128

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave Memorial # 8274703