Robert Gerhard Oltmanns

Robert “Bob” Gerhard Oltmanns was born November 20, 1923 in Gotebo, Oklahoma to George and Marie Oltmanns, the first of their five children. After graduating from high school in Glencoe, OK, Bob attended college at Oklahoma A&M and graduated circa 1949 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. After graduation, Bob worked for Krause Plow, and later at Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. He met his future wife, Madeline, at a dance club event in Hutchinson, Kansas. They were married June 11, 1955. Bob made a career change shortly after their marriage and secured a position at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, Oklahoma where he raised his family and worked for 31 years at the Base until he retired in January 1987. Bob and Madeline left their home in Midwest City and moved to Epworth Villa Retirement Community in 1990 shortly after it opened. They lived there together until September 1998 when Madeline passed away.

After Madeline passed away, Bob continued to be active in the St. Luke’s UMC choir and Sunday School, as well as ballroom dance classes culminating in a competition where he won first place in his age group in Rhumba. Involvement in Travel Club, Ladies’ Music Club of Oklahoma City with his dear friend Virginia Campbell, Epworth Vespers Choir, National Assoc. of Retired Federal Employees, Mobile Meals delivery to the homebound, and numerous other community-based assistance programs kept him busy as well. With the Travel Club, he made trips to Europe where he finally was able to visit Germany and to Iceland which he found to be both intensely interesting and stunningly beautiful. He also made a trip with the Travel Club to Beijing, China and connected there with his granddaughter Shannon who was studying abroad. Shannon became his tour guide and they had a wonderful time together. Bob continued to live in his independent living apartment until 2017, when he made the decision after major surgery to move to one of Epworth’s long-term care Households. Even though he was in long-term care, Bob engaged in as many social events as he could, including bowling, museum tours, luncheon outings, musical events, art class, and his two favorite activities, playing Dominoes and Bingo.

On November 19, 2020, Bob went home to be with his Savior peacefully, and without pain or suffering. In a twist of fate, 2020 is a Leap Year, which meant that although he passed away on November 19, had it not been for the calendar adjustment of one extra day in February, it should have been the 20th, his 97th birthday, meaning that Bob had left this world the same day he came into it 97 years prior.

Bob is preceded in death by the love of his life, his wife, Madeline, his parents, his oldest sister Esther Dobson and his youngest brother Paul Oltmanns. He is survived by his younger brother Karl Oltmanns, and sister Joanne Kuster, and his two children, daughter Marcia Dunn of Kingfisher, OK, and daughter Donna Law and son-in-law Scott Law of Oklahoma City, his granddaughters, Laura Patty and grandson-in-law Zac Patty and Shannon Dunn of Seattle, WA, and his great-grandchildren Rowan, Lawrence, Madeline, Catherine and Patrick Patty, along with many beloved nieces and nephews.

Rest in peace, Daddy, Brother, Grandpa, Uncle Bob, and Friend. Your love has been the beacon of our faith and hope for a very long time. May we find the courage and strength of character to continue on and follow in your very large footsteps and the path that you have laid out before us.