Robert Donald Atwood

Robert's Family Robert married Beverly Bollman of Bruce, WI on August 10, 1948 at Riverside Mission in Bruce, WI. He is survived by his wife Beverly, and their six children: Ann & Richard Hall, Craig & Sue Atwood, Cleo & Art Gransee, Suzanne & Robert Merrill, Trudy & Kevin Norton, and Robert & Kathryn Atwood. He is also survived by 18 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren (and two more on the way). Robert was proceded in death by an infant son, his parents, brother, and five sisters. Robert Atwood passed away on January 26, 2015 at his home in Mesa, Arizona. He was surrounded by his beautiful wife of 66 years and all six of his children when the Lord called him home. Robert was born on July 31, 1928 in Stubbs Township of Rusk County, Wisconsin to Walter & Bernice Atwood. He married Beverly Bollman on August 10, 1948 at Riverside Mission in Bruce, Wisconsin. They shared a deep love and commitment for each other that was evident to anyone who knew them. Though Robert attended church as a child, he credits an evangelism service that he attended in Raymond, Washington in 1949 as the time when he committed his life to the Lord. As a newly married man, he pulled his wife up with him as he walked to the front of the church to respond to the preacher's invitation to start a relationship with Jesus. It's because of his belief in Jesus' death and resurrection that we have peace knowing he is in heaven. Moreover, because of his passion for discipleship and evangelism, many others have come to know Jesus through Robert. If you ever think of the word "example" you should think of Robert. He was and still will be the perfect example to many people (family and friends alike). He was the perfect example of a Christian man. He was always there for anyone who needed him. Each day Robert and Beverly prayed for a different one of their children, and anyone connected to that child, their spouse, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends or relatives of that child and anyone else they felt needed prayer that day. He made special dates with the Grandsons, taking them to some of his favorite places for breakfasts or lunches to make them feel special and oh, how special they felt. They got alone time with the Best Grandpa in the entire world. He mentioned that at one time in his life that he would like to hunt and fish more, but it was more important for him to spend the little free time he had with his family instead. So, that's what He did. If anybody had a baby (and with 6 children and all of His grandchild and great-children there were lots of babies) we all knew Robert had to be one of the first people to introduce our baby to. He would hold them, rock them, sing to them. I'm sure some of us still sing The Donut Song or the song about the skunk sticking its head in a skunk hole, because we heard them sung over and over by Robert, rub their feet and love, love, love them! When they got a little bit older, He still loved the babies. However, if they cried.. He would say, " Hey, you cry and I'll whistle," and that's just what He did. Before long, the baby didn't quite know what to think and the crying was over. If you knew Robert at all, even just a little bit, I'm sure that you have heard at least one of his jokes. He loved to tell jokes to any and everyone that would listen. Sometimes, you heard the same one over and over. But, it didn't matter. You still laughed with him and smiled as if you hadn't heard it before. If you ever needed a Tic-Tac. Robert had some, and they were always the orange ones. They were the best color made. Still to this day.. if I buy Tic-Tacs, I buy the orange ones, because the other colors don't mean anything when you could buy and eat the color that Robert loved the most. From an early age Robert learned what it meant to be a hard worker. At eight years old he was working the farm behind a team of horses. When he finished school, he went where the work was: building army barracks in Alaska, laying railroad tracks in Wisconsin (only because he was too young to fight in World War II), driving a caterpiller clearing logging roads in Washington, driving a route for a laundry service, and hauling milk as a long distance truck driver. After starting an insurance agency in Zion, Illinois in 1968, he worked two other jobs to provide for his family—driving a school bus in the morning and working a night shift at Dunkin Donuts. Robert's favorite day of the week was Sunday. Often his only day off during the week, he loved going to church with his family. In the car ride to church, he would quote Psalm 122, "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord." He was always eager to go to church, even in the last years of his life when he was so weak that such an outing would mean two days for him to recover his strength. Robert was a visionary. He would say, "Get a vision and step out in faith." For him, this meant starting an insurance agency, in spite of his company's representatives telling him he wouldn't make it (which is something you don't say to him). Not only did he make it, but he was agent of the year the following year, and he later started his second agency in Arizona. God also gave him a vision to be a church planter. Working with the Baptist General Conference he started Faith Baptist Church in 1974 in Grayslake, Illinois and Desert View Baptist Church in 1983 out of a Bible study in his living room in Mesa, Arizona. He was a charter member of Vision Arizona, a church-planting movement that is very much alive today, starting churches all over the state of Arizona. To his wife, 6 kids, 18 grandchildren, and 37 great-grandchildren, Robert gave an example of what it means to lead his family, love his wife, and love God. We will miss his prayers, his gentle spirit, his humor, and his kisses. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of Robert and Beverly's favorite ministries: CHIEF - the Christian Hope Indian Eskimo Fellowship (www.chief.org). Hospice of the Valley (http://www.hov.org) Robert wanted to leave us with this verse from Philippians: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13