- Date Of Birth: November 19, 1936
- Date Of Death: June 25, 2010
- State: Arizona
Robert L. Stanford “Bob”, age 73, went home to his heavenly father on June 25, 2010. Bob was born November 19, 1936, in the Stanford farmhouse, Pottawattamie County, Oklahoma situated on land homesteaded by his paternal grandfather in 1902. He was the 3rd son of Leland and Jewel Stanford who had five boys. All of them to learn the joys of milking cows, hoeing peanuts on dry farmland, and raising blue ribbon stock for the county fairs.
Bob attended a one-room school near their farm, sometimes riding a horse to school if milking took too long or the boys missed the morning school bus.
After graduation from Dale High school in Pottawatamie County, he attended Oklahoma State University graduating with majors in Entomology and Animal Husbandry. While at OSU he was a member of the Meat’s judging team which placed 3rd internationally at the Kansas City Stock show in 1956. He graduated summa cum laude.
In 1958 he developed with his brothers and a friend the Sun-Vue Corporation in Plainview Texas a cotton consultant business.
At this time in his life, Bob and his wife, his college sweetheart, Mary Jane “Janie” Hessel, were busy raising their three children, serving in The First Methodist Church of Plainview, Texas, and working in the community as well. Also, at this time Bob earned his Master’s Degree in Entomology from Texas Tech University in 1968.
In 1969, Bob brought his knowledge, experience, and energy to Arizona working for Bruce Church Corporation in Yuma, AZ for several years. Later he began farming cotton on the south mesa of Yuma County.
In 1981 Bob was named the Cotton Consultant of the Year, a recognition given by the National Cotton Farming magazine. The recognition was given to dedicated and astute cotton consultants highly regarded by both clients and fellow workers who brought a higher level of professionalism and service to production technology in the area of insect control. Bob was the first to receive the recognition, which continues to acknowledge annually those worthy consultants.
In 1996 he and his wife retired to Flagstaff where Bob loved Flagstaff, but not retirement.
He is survived by his wife, Janie of 52 years. Their marriage produced a life committed to the LORD and their children Greg, who is married to Audrey and living in Paradise Valley; Steve, who is married to Debbie, living in Scottsdale; and Gena who is married to Dan Jones and living in Las Vegas. His grandchildren are Rob, Ryan, Logan Stanford, Kyle, Ashley, Megan Stanford, Katie, Kristen, and Keely Jones.
