Merle J. Robbins

Belmond - Merle J. Robbins, age 69, of Belmond, most recently residing at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, died, Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at the Iowa Veterans Home, Marshalltown.
Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, June 15, 10:30 a.m., at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 1207 Third Street N.E., Belmond. Father Paul McManus and Deacon Jerry Temeyer will be officiating. Burial with full military honors provided by the Belmond Military Unit will be in the St. Francis Catholic Cemetery near Belmond.
Visitation will be held Thursday from 5-8 p.m. at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First Street S.E., Belmond, and continues one hour prior to the services at church Friday. There will be a Parish Rosary at 4:45 p.m., Thursday at the funeral home and a Christian Wake Service at the funeral home at 7:45 p.m. Thursday. Memorial suggestions include the Belmond Ambulance Service, the donor's choice or to Merle's family in care of Mike Robbins, P.O. Box 198, 204 Park Ave., State Center, Iowa.
Merle J. Robbins, the son of Carl and Agnes (Fuller) Robbins, was born, July 4, 1942, in Belmond. He grew up and attended schools in the Belmond Community and graduated from Belmond High School in the Class of 1960. He later attended Barber School and was a barber in Forest City for a time.
Merle proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1964-67 during the Vietnam War. He spent part of his military tenure in Cambodia, Thailand and in Germany guarding the Berlin Wall. He was Honorably Discharged as a Sargeant in February 1970.
Merle was united in marriage to Beverly Buseman on Dec. 27, 1967, at the Catholic Church in Forest City. The couple resided in Belmond, where they raised their son, Mike Robbins.
Merle was employed for a period of time at at Central Soya in Belmond and later in 1982 commenced his career with Eaton Corporation in Belmond, where he was employed until retiring from the Stock Room in the mid 2000s.
Throughout his life Merle had been an active and devout member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Belmond. He was a longtime member of the St. Francis Xavier Knights of Columbus organization and proudly shared that he was a 4th Degree Knight. He was also a past member of the Goodell American Legion Post.
During their years of marriage Merle and Bev enjoyed raising and nurturing their son, Mike. The family enjoyed going on fishing outings and golfing. Merle was always up for a game of cards or a trip to the area casino. He was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan and had been to several Hawks football and basketball games throughout the years. He shared his love for the black and gold with all who knew him either through his personalized license plates or, of course, his famously, enormous painted "Hawkeyes" emblem plastered on his home's double garage door proclaiming his fanaticism.
His wife and the love of his life, Bev, died on Jan. 4, 2001. Following her death Merle continued to work at Eaton Corp. and looked after his mother, Agnes Robbins. After she passed away and Merle retired, he looked forward to outings to the local restaurant for a meal and some visiting, an occasional trip to the casino, cruising about the town, and the fellowship of friends and family. As his health deteriorated he became more reliant on the assistance of others to look after his needs, despite his staunch independence and wishes to remain independent and self-sufficient.
His son, Mike, and family are grateful for all those of have been helpful in caring for and looking after Merle in recent years. He had just recently moved to the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, where he was be closer to his son and grandkids.
All who had the opportunity and privilege of crossing in Merle's life journey will remember him as a man with a booming and resonantly deep voice who was very dedicated to his faith, family and friends. They will reflect upon his oftentimes blunt and straight-forward personality, unique humor and that "Merle Gaze" in his eyes as he shared his thoughts, stories and insights.
His life and memory will live on in the hearts and minds of his son, Mike (Kathryn) Robbins, and his grandchildren, Kellie and Jayme Robbins, all of Marshalltown, and numerous other extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Agnes; his wife, Beverly Ann; and other family. Andrews Funeral Home, Belmond. 641-444-4474.


This obituary was originally published in the Globe Gazette.