Robert Lloyd Jefferies

YOUTH

Robert Lloyd Jefferies was the youngest child and only son of Robert Jefferies (Little Staughton, Bedfordshire, England), and Annie Mehnke (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada). He was born in rural Nelson County, North Dakota, on November 22, 1922. After his father's death in 1935, "Bud" and his mother moved into the town of Michigan, where he graduated from high school in 1941. He enrolled in the University of North Dakota, in Grand Forks, and lived in Camp Depression, a quadrangle of caboose cars that provided student housing. He left the university to enlist in the US Army in July of 1943.

WORLD WAR II

In September of 1944, Bob's unit was sent to the European Theater, arriving in September, 1944, making the winter trek across northern France to the Ardennes. He took shrapnel in Belgium near Montschau during the Battle of the Bulge. After surgery and recuperation in England, Corporal Jefferies returned to action in the Pacific Theater in July, 1945, landing in the Philippines on Leyte. He was active in the mop-up in Luzon and continued northward into Japan, as far as Hiroshima in August of 1945.

UNIVERSITY

After being discharged from the Army, Bud returned to North Dakota University and, thanks to the GI Bill, completed his BS in Mining Engineering in February, 1949. While at UND, he lived in Budge Hall. On September 4, 1948, he married Inez Janet Hanson, a registered nurse working in Grand Forks.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Bob went to work for United Geophysical. He continued to work for its purchaser, Union Oil of California, from 1955 until his retirement in 1985. His career as an exploration geophysicist stretched from the days of intuitional surface prospecting, to mapping reflections of dynamite-generated shock waves, to using devices that can detect rocks of different density by measuring minute differences in gravitational pull. At the time of his retirement, he was a Regional Geophysicist. Mr. Jefferies set high expectations for himself and his staff regarding responsibility, quality, and technology. Bob's work group was the first in the region to install computers in the office. He worked successfully with and was respected and trusted by those of many nationalities and cultures.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

During his working years, the couple moved frequently, since Bob's job took him throughout all of the western United States and Canada, and farther afield to Australia and Papua. His commitment to protect and provide for those for whom he cared for never wavered. When he travelled, he made it a point to return home every weekend to spend time with Inez and their two girls, Janet and Linda. Wherever he lived he was active in the Lutheran church, as well as in the Elks (BPOE) lodge and the VFW Post.

RETIREMENT

In 1985, Mr. Jefferies retired from Union Oil, and he and Inez moved to Denver, Colorado. During their retirement years Bob and Inez played couples bridge with friends at home and at the senior center, and enjoyed occasional visits to the Blackhawk casinos. They were able to take several cruises, including one through the Panama Canal for their 50th anniversary. Their travel destinations also included Vancouver, Orlando, Branson, and various National Parks, as well as to visits relatives across the country. They often took one of their grandsons with them on these trips. Bob also spent many hours helping his grandsons with homework and attending their school and sporting events as a father would. Bob and Inez celebrated 70 years of marriage in September, 2018.