Robert R. "Bob" Meyer

Robert R. "Bob" Meyer, age 70, of Loyal, WI, signed off for the last time on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026, in the Loyal High School gym in Loyal, WI. Visitation will be held in the Loyal High School gym from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2026, and on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service. A mass will be said for Bob on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Loyal, WI. In lieu of flowers & plants (because Coni will forget to water them), the family asks that any gifts or donations go towards either Food For The Poor (a mission of Bob's great-nephew, James Meyer, to help build houses in Guatemala) or Feed My People Food Bank out of Eau Claire. We invite all who attend to wear what represents your connection to Bob (Loyal attire, FFA jackets, WDLB, Brownfield, Citizens State Bank, Jaycees, sashes, etc.).
Bob was born on July 15, 1955, in Marshfield, WI, to Alfred and Odelia (nee Burr) Meyer. He was raised on the family farm just west of Loyal, WI. After graduating from Loyal High School in 1973, he attended UW-La Crosse for one semester (where he majored in Old Style) and then Brown Institute in the Twin Cities, where he earned his broadcasting license.
Bob married his lifelong 4-H buddy Coni Smith on June 18, 1977, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Loyal, and their adventure of life began. Bob started his career in broadcasting as the "overnight guy, GC Scott" at WDLB in Marshfield in 1974. In November of 1977, he left radio and became the Retail Manager at Smith Feed Service in Loyal. In 1986, he returned to the airwaves and soon after became the Program Director at WDLB/WLJY in Marshfield and Assistant Farm Director for the newly created Goetz Farm Radio Network (GFRN). Later that year, he began a 30-year run as the morning-drive announcer on WDLB. With that morning shift, he became co-host of the GFRN's morning farm show, Daybreak. In 1991, Bob became the Farm Director of the GFRN. Over the following decade, GFRN increased its affiliate network to cover the state of Wisconsin. In July 2003, Learfield Communications out of Jefferson City, MO, purchased the GFRN (and the rights to Bob), and he joined the Brownfield Ag News team. As a result, Bob was heard on more than 350 stations in ten states. During his radio career, he conducted more than 20,000 interviews with newsmakers & people of interest in & beyond agriculture. Bob's radio career would later be honored when he was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2023. The sound of Bob's voice is still available through his last venture, The Rural View podcast.
In 2016, Bob said, "That's enough of this!" (his signature sign-off at the end of his daily morning shift on WDLB) for the last time and transitioned from ag news & radio to his next chapter as an Ag Loan Officer out of the Marshfield branch of Citizens State Bank. Ironically, he could see the radio station from his office window. Bob joked, "Now, to get to work, I turn left instead of right." This new challenge brought new connections that still required the same advocacy for agriculture. At first, he felt outside of his comfort zone. But soon, his never-ending interest to meet people, learn their story, and then guide their process with the bank became another area of impact and success for Bob and his customers. Bob retired from the bank in 2021.
Bob's advocacy for agriculture and the community was a lifelong commitment far beyond radio and the bank. He was a passionate and active supporter of the FFA at the local, state, and national levels. Just as he was the "Voice of Ag" for many in & beyond Wisconsin, he was also the proud voice of the annual Wisconsin State FFA Convention. He was also a voice you would hear reading at church, announcing Loyal sports events, serving as a "YO!" man at the Clark County Fair Livestock Auction, & the voice of the Central WI Draft Horse Show. He served on numerous boards & committees for Wisconsin Farm Technology Days & Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin. He contributed in various ways to the Alice in Dairyland finals. He was the "go-to" emcee and speaker for a variety of events. Bob and microphones always had a way of finding each other.
Bob's love & laughter will live on through his wife, Coni; his children & their families: Ryan Meyer & Heidi Meyer (Megan, Madison, Mason, Marshall, Micah, & Maddox), Carrie (Dean) McFarlane (Beckett, Reid, Crew, & Boden), Cassandra (Jon Schmidt) Meyer (Walter & Raymond); his German kid, Friedrich (Rike) Stoelzel (Mortiz, Marie, Gretta); his sister, Sr. Virdean Meyer; four brothers: Rich (Judy) Meyer, Larry (Virginia) Meyer, Allen (Diane) Meyer, & Danny Meyer; sisters-in-law: (Ron's) Judy Meyer, (Fritz's) Judy Meyer, & Pam Meyer; his father & mother-in-law, Bud & Joan Smith; additional sisters & brothers-in-law: Sandy (Charlie) Bruesewitz, Sue (Scoop) Druschke, Chris (Janis) Smith, Ken (Shari) Smith, Jim Smith, & Rich (Julie) Smith; 56 nieces & nephews and over 140 great-nieces & nephews.
Bob is now laughing eternally with his parents, three brothers (Ron, Fritz, & Randy), his sister-in-law, (Danny's) Diane, nieces Jeanette (Tootsie) Meyer, Vicky & Becky Meyer, and Isa Smith, and nephew Danny Meyer, Jr., and an unending number of extended family members, former teachers, mentors, & friends who passed before him. We look forward to the day that we'll get to be in the presence of his voice again and hear all of his new stories.