Robert "Bob" Nathan Van Wert

Robert (Bob) Nathan Van Wert was born March 8, 1930. He passed away in the early morning hours of October 19, 2025, at home with family. He was 95 years old. Robert married Joyce Ann Jager on July 12, 1958, in Plainwell, Michigan. They were married over 66 years. Joyce preceded him in death.

Robert was born in Albion Michigan in 1930 to Guy and Olive Van Wert. He was the middle child, with an older sister Betty and a younger sister Mary who died shortly after birth. The family moved to the family farm, where he grew up, that same year. Robert graduated from Albion High School in 1948. Shortly after graduation, he was drafted into the army and served as a mechanic in Korea for two years. Robert was an officer in the Farm Bureau club. He met Joyce at a Farm Bureau dance. They were married about four months later. After his father decided to sell the livestock, Robert went into building/carpentry. He was a builder for about 50 years and built many, many buildings around the Homer/Albion area, as well as remodels and other building maintenance projects. Robert and Joyce were avid square dancers. Robert truly enjoyed kicking up his heels at a square dance, which they did for about 40 years, almost every Saturday night. Robert did hundreds of tasks for his wife and children including building the family home, helping his son Kevyn build his home as well as siding a home for his daughter Tamara and serving as the “project manager” on his parent’s home remodel for Tamara and her family.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Betty (Van Wert) Young, sister Mary Van Wert, his wife Joyce and daughter-in-law Sandra (Payne) Van Wert. He is survived by his son, Kevyn (Mary Worthington) Van Wert and his daughter Tamara (Doran) Winchell. Robert has four grandchildren, Jody (Lewis) Dinges, Vickie (Matt) Huntley, Valerie (Joel) Flees and Devan Winchell. Robert has seven great-grandchildren Ellen and Emerson Dodd, Hailee, McKinley, Sofia and Charlotte Huntley and Cameryn Flees.

A visitation will be held for Robert on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, from 5:00PM – 8:00PM at J. Kevin Tidd Funeral Home, 811 Finley Drive, Albion, MI 49224. A graveside service will take place the following day, Thursday, 10/23/2025, at 11:30AM at Riverside Cemetery, 1301 S Superior St. Albion, MI 49224.

Memorials can be made in Robert’s memory to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.