- Date Of Birth: February 21, 1935
- Date Of Death: August 31, 2015
- State: Colorado
Robert Earl Bryant was born at home to Charles and Esther Bryant on February 21st 1935 in Phillips County Kansas. He had eight brothers and sisters. When Bob was just 9 days old the family moved to a small farm just north of Penokee. He spent his childhood growing up with the rest of his siblings at the family farm. Charles and Esther kept a home for their family working in the fields and grasslands of Northwest Kansas raising crops and livestock including cattle, chickens, sheep, horses and family pets. There were more than enough chores to go around even with so many available to work. In the beginning the fields of wheat, corn and milo were cut with horse drawn equipment up until the advent of tractors and pull type combines which were very slow and cumbersome according to my Dad. Many of the crops had to be shocked and loaded for transport or threshing by hand. All of the Bryant siblings were required to attend school but not until the cows were milked before and after school. Robert attended school first at Penokee Grade School and later Hill City High School focusing primarily on baseball, track and Future Farmers of America. Dad earned extra income working part time for some of the neighboring farmers as well. His young life was spent learning and working at other vocational skills including carpentry, welding, building and mending fences, plumbing and operating machinery. Robert was on the job during the construction of the Penokee Farmers Union Coop grain elevator in Penokee, Kansas helping with the monumental task of tying steel and pouring the many tons of concrete needed for the massive structure. He spoke often and fondly of the many friends he had growing up in a community of close friends and relatives. The members of his baseball team were mentioned as were the members of the track team. His travels took him as far as Colorado to work in the orchards of fruit trees along with 1000 laying hens with his sister Charlotte and her husband Art Smith. It was during that time that he was introduced to his future bride Carol Costello while attending a 4 H party in the Grand Junction area. After courting they were married and returned to Penokee and took up residences first out at the Kobler Farms and later a small two bedroom house closer to town where Bob and Carol raised three boys Chuck, Adam and myself Adam being the youngest. My brothers and I shared the same room for a while but my parents wanted a better home for their family and set to work at just that. They purchased a very large two story stucco house near Logan, Kansas, hired a house mover, built a foundation and had that house moved all the way to Penokee! Another monumental task for Robert but this time, with the help of Carol and an army of constructors. The new residence included a hand dug well, a large garden and many pens of feeder pigs. We too attended Penokee Grade School until it’s closing and finished grade school at Morland, Kansas. All the while Mom and Dad were employed at various tasks providing for their young family and they did just about anything you could think of to accomplish the mission. Even specialized vocations such as beekeepers, dairy farmers, scout leaders, hog farming and taxi drivers to the many school events that their boys were involved in. There were many chapters to his life as with many of us and the next chapter led the family to Cedaredge, Colorado where they continued raising their family. We all enrolled in Cedaredge schools until our graduation. Chuck enlisted into the United States Marine Corp, Adam enlisted into the United States Army Reserve and myself into the United States Army and thus all three of my fathers sons served in the military in the capacity of non commissioned officers. Each of his three sons have extensive careers in our respected trades. Robert Earl Bryant is preceded in death by all but one of his siblings and both of his parents. He is survived by one sister, his former wife, 3 sons, 6 grand children and 2 great grand children. His presence made a sizable impact on all of us who knew him.
