Robert Knight Dansdill

Robert Knight Dansdill was the 2nd of 6 surviving children of Clinton Dansdill and Elma Yeamans. He was born on Nov 7, 1916 in Smith Center Kansas – but his roots were in Akron, Colorado – a small town on the plains of Eastern Colorado.

His Dad, Clint, had moved to Akron in 1886 at the age of 1 with his family who were farmers. After graduating from Akron High, Clint became a bookkeeper for the Akron/Otis Lumber yard. He married Akron resident; Elma Yeamans in 1913, and they settled in town and began their family. In 1916, Clint was asked to move to Smith Center KS to manage the lumberyard there, so the family moved to Kansas for 18 months, and while there, on election day, Tuesday, Nov 7, 1916, Bob was born.

The family moved back to Akron in the spring of 1918, and quickly became some of the towns leading citizens. The family owned the Eastern Colorado Lumber Company, and a short while later they added the John Deere Implement Co and the Ready Mix concrete company to the family businesses. Elma was active in the DAR, Eastern Star and with the Methodist Women’s organizations. With 6 children living in their 2-story house on Adams Street, music lessons, church, work, & school filled each day. While the family lived in the middle of town, they had chickens, a milk cow, and rabbits – which Bob remembers raising, slaughtering and dressing for sale.

Bob excelled in academics. His favorite teacher (an older cousin) tutored him over the summers, so he skipped a grade in school and was able to be in the same class as his older brother, John. John and Bob were pretty inseparable. Together, they enjoyed scouting, biking to the Buttes – the rock formation close to Brush (a full day bike ride out and back), helping ranchers with branding, and camping & hunting trips. A favorite summer tradition was the 3-day drive from Akron to Aspen to visit Aunt Edith and Uncle Art – who was a miner for Smuggler Mine. Bob recalls taking the Model T over a very primitive Independence Pass. The road was so steep that John and Bob would walk next to the car and place large rocks behind the wheels when it stalled out, so it wouldn’t start going backwards. Because Akron High was small, every boy could play football, wrestle and run in track – and Bob enjoyed all those sports. He also loved playing trombone in the band. The famous trombonist and big band leader, Glen Miller, graduated from high school in Ft. Morgan – the nearest larger town close to Akron, and perhaps that inspired Bob to play the trombone…..

After graduation from high school, Robert enrolled in Aggies – now known as CSU and moved to Ft. Collins. He was the first of the family to go to college – and as one cousin said, “he paved the way for the rest of us to leave Akron and go to college.” Because of his love of the outdoors – and because his family had survived the dust bowl, he majored in chemistry with an emphasis in agronomy. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in June of 1938.

Immediately after graduation, Bob was hired by US Dept of Agriculture as a “Student Assistant Soil Scientist” for the newly formed SCS (Soils Conservation Service). His job was based in Dalhart Texas and he received a salary of $85.00 / month.

In the spring of 1939, when Bob went back to Akron for a high school reunion, he met Amy Jean Stenson, a Denver native – who had joined her best friend, Lorraine for the weekend festivities. Bob and Amy were “smitten”, and a long-distance courtship began – with Bob driving from Dalhart to Denver after work on Friday night, and driving home early Sunday mornings. They married on Dec 21st, 1940 in the Evans Chapel in Denver, and honeymooned in New Orleans before settling into life back in Dalhart.

Bob’s job involved digging soil samples and measuring the chemical properties – assessing the available nutrients and water levels so the soil could be managed for crop production. Half of his early work years were spent outdoors conducting the surveys and mapping the soil and topography. Consequently, he knew the land – where to go to hunt, fish, picnic, and camp. Bob & Amy enjoyed countless hours exploring the outdoors. She became an expert at shooting prairie dogs (a favorite pastime of those living in the Texas panhandle), and he knew every back road and jeep trail in the area.

Dec 7, 1941 changed their world. Bob enlisted in the Navy and was appointed Ensign on July 1st 1942. He went to Tucson Arizona for Naval Training School, spent a brief time in Memphis TN, and then went for special training in Photographic Intelligence at Anacostia DC. He was assigned to a special fleet based in the Pacific but nearly died of sea-sickness on the way to Hawaii, so was reassigned as a land-based Photographic Interpretation Officer at Pearl Harbor. He spent 21 months at Pearl Harbor and worked in deciphering photographs taken by air reconnaissance missions. Dad was promoted to Lieutenant, and received several letters of commendation and ribbons. .

In letters to Amy, he said that many weeks were completely consumed by intense work, and others – when no photos had arrived, could be filled with enjoying the beauty of Hawaii. While Honolulu was under wartime “night blackout restrictions”, he enjoyed sunny Waikiki Beach, and a highlight of his time in Hawaii was when he and 2 friends were able to enjoy a week of horseback riding and camping on the Big Island.

In Sept 1945, Bob was assigned to the Navy Yard back in Washington DC to teach photographic analysis, so Amy moved there to be with him. He was released from Active Duty on Feb 6, 1946 to become a Reserve Officer, and was honorably discharged on Feb 5, 1954.

Following his release from active duty, Bob and Amy moved back to Colorado. They bought a home near Porter Hospital, and he resumed his career with the SCS: soils conservation service. Their daughter, Patricia was born, and the “regular routine of life” began. Bob still traveled the Great Plains region (NM, CO, TX, OK, KS ) one week each month, but the family looked like a typical, 1950’s “Leave it to Beaver” family. Amy was a stay-at-home mom – involved with PTA, church, sewing and being a consummate mother and wife. Bob was the provider and head of house.

One of the favorite events of the year was our Summer Vacation. Planning for the vacation would begin in February, and destinations were carefully chosen. The vacation was always a “road trip” – taken in our sky blue 1960 Rambler Station wagon. Dad got 3 weeks off from work, and we’d spend those weeks exploring the United States. One year, on a “Colorado Mountain Trip”, Dad drove us over Engineer’s Pass (Ouray to Telluride). Engineer’s pass is an extreme 4-wheel drive Jeep road, but our little Rambler made it! The next year we drove to Niagara Falls and onto Quebec City. The next year we explored Alberta Canada, seeing Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise – the next year we drove through Utah’s National Parks enroute to California to see family. Etc etc. We covered almost all 50 states in our road trips – but the Western US was a favorite of Dad’s. Those were the days before GPS, so I had lessons in map reading and since our car had no air conditioning, we roll the windows down, put in an 8-track and sing along with songs at the top of our lungs to help us forget the heat. We’d stop for picnic lunches consisting of saltine crackers, sardines or Vienna Sausages, and fruit – and dinners were enjoyed at Little Black Sambos or Howard Johnsons. We always looked for a motel with a pool, and the day would end with all of us enjoying a swim. They weren’t “fancy vacations” and weren’t the typical beach or amusement park trips – but they fostered a love of travel and the outdoors in us all.

Both Mom and Dad were very involved with our church: Emmanuel Methodist. It was a block away from our home, so we were always walking back and forth. Dad was head usher for as long as I can remember, and both Mom and Dad played in the bell choir. Dad was on the financial board of the church, and was a willing and ready volunteer whenever the church had a need to be filled. Dad wasn’t one to broadcast his faith, but he had a rock-solid assurance that Jesus is Lord, and throughout his life he realized that the blessings he enjoyed were a gift from God. This was reflected in his grateful appreciation for people around him and the calm manner in which he lived his life. Dad was active in the service organization of Civitan International, and he and mom had a wide circle of friends. They played in two bridge groups; ballroom danced at the Trocadero at Elitch Gardens, square danced with the Polka-Dots Club every month, and hosted countless dinners for friends and family.

Both Mom and Dad were very supportive of my passion for music and Dad came to all my recitals, concerts and performances. While he loved hearing me perform on the piano or organ, I’m not sure he really enjoyed opera or orchestra concerts, but he showed up for every performance.

I think Dad always longed for a son, so when I married Greg, he was thrilled.

They had an easy, compatible relationship and Dad was so pleased I’d found someone so loving, faithful and joy-filled to share life with. Now Dad was not pleased when Greg and I moved to Maui …. Much to far away for his wishes, but Greg brought us back when the grandchildren were born, so all was well once again.

Dad retired from the SCS in August of 1979 after 40 + years of service. Over the course of his career, he wrote numerous environmental impact statements that were presented on the federal level, and he published soil maps of the Great Plains Region that I think are still in use today. He spent several summers at Cornell University and finished all but his thesis for his Masters Degree. He had been asked to move to Washington DC to work in the National office, but Dad loved Colorado and turned down several promotions in order to stay in the state. His passion was still for the “hands on” chemistry analysis – not the administrative bureaucracy that would have come with a move to the Federal level. Dad retired as the State Soil Scientist for Colorado. – a job that he loved.

Shortly after Dad retired, Mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Their dreams of traveling internationally were cut short as they dealt with the ravages of that disease. The grandchildren, Brad and Perry, became a focal point of joy in their lives. The boys loved spending time with Pops and Nanny, and simple things – like spending an afternoon in the backyard picking cherries, or watching the boys learn to ride hot wheels and bikes brought Dad great joy.

Dad loved to garden. While Mom planted flowers, Dad planted vegetables.

Because of his thorough knowledge of soil and what plants needed in order to thrive, his garden produced THE BEST tomatoes in the universe, and they had asparagus, beans, carrots, spinach and kale, zucchini, eggplant, onions, garlic, radishes, cucumbers – vegetables enough to feed the entire neighborhood (which they often did). One cute story involves rhubarb. Dad grew delicious rhubarb and made rhubarb sauce and rhubarb pie – which Bradley loved. The summer Brad was 7 the neighborhood kids decided to have a lemonade stand. Brad – always the entrepreneur - decided he would sell rhubarb sauce. He loved it, his Pops loved it – and he was convinced people would be lining up to buy his rhubarb. Sadly, he learned that rhubarb is an acquired taste.

Throughout Mom’s 9-year battle with Parkinsons, Dad was a faithful encourager and patient caregiver. As Mom’s health declined, Dad took over the household chores she could no longer physically do. He became a decent cook as he followed her recipes, and he did the laundry and ironing, as well as the general housecleaning. The last couple of years – when she was totally consumed by the disease, he took over every aspect of her care, to the point of physical exhaustion on his own part. Mom died in late Oct 1989 - just 2 months prior to what would have been their 49th anniversary.

After Mom’s death, Dad was lost. His recent life had been totally filled with care giving. He was worn out physically, and emotionally drained. He had lost the love of his life, and couldn’t find joy without her. Fortunately, Perry had a fabulous 1st grade teacher – Mrs. Richardson – who asked Dad to come listen to students read. Dad went to Franklin Elementary every Tues and Thurs afternoon to help the little ones learn to read, and in sharing his patience and time, he found a renewed purpose and joy. “Pops” was known throughout the entire first grade, and by June the students were reading enthusiastically, and Dad had a spring back in his step.

The first Christmas without Mom, Dad sent cards to friends telling of Mom’s death. One friend, Alice Storey McKinney, wrote back – saying that her husband had recently died after a long battle of cancer, so she could empathize with Dad. Letters began to fly between them, and that spring he went down to Cortez to visit her. In May, she came to Denver to see Dad – and during that visit, Dad and Alice got married. It’s a sweet story about their marriage: Dad had told us Alice was coming to visit, and wondered if she could stay with us, as it wasn’t proper for her to stay with him since they weren’t married. And so, she did come and stay with us for the week. Alice was an easy and fun houseguest. She had never had children of her own, but immediately “took to” Brad and Perry, and she totally fit into our family. Anyway, each evening after work, all of us would do something fun with Dad and Alice. Towards the end of the week, Greg called Dad to see what the plans were for that evening. Dad responded saying that he thought it was a good evening to get married. He had checked, and the church and minister were available – and wondered if Greg would sing and I would play, and why didn’t we just meet them at church at 7pm?! This came totally out of the blue for us, but as Dad said “life is short and they weren’t getting any younger, so might as well marry now rather than waiting.” And it was the right thing for them. My folks had known Alice and her husband Mac for 40 years, so while marriage was a new relationship, it was built on a long-standing history of friendship. They had so much in common and brought joy, energy and life into each other. It was a blessing for them, and for our entire family.

Alice’s husband Mac had worked for the Park System in Utah, so like Dad, Alice had an intense love for the outdoors. Dad bought a bright blue GMC (Jimmy) and they spent many days exploring back roads. Alice was a superb wood carver and enjoyed making life-like birds. Together they searched for just the right pieces of wood, and Dad helped her mount the birds in lifelike settings and perches.

Alice had spunk and was always willing to try something new. At one of the “Cottrell Family weekend retreats” in Glenwood Springs, she talked Dad into going down the long waterslide. Seeing two 75+ year olds zipping down that slide is a memory that our entire family will always smile about. Together, Dad and Alice enjoyed vacations to Costa Rica, to Hawaii, and to Spain and Portugal. They took countless car trips around the Western US, and they shared life together for 8 years.

When Alice died in the spring of 1998, Dad was “at peace”. His time with Alice completed his “married life:” and while he was sad – he was able to continue living and enjoy time with friends and family.

Dad and Alice had bought a home in southeast Aurora and after Alice’s death he continued to live there and enjoy his neighbors and backyard garden. He continued to have lunch with “old friends”, to attend SCS reunions, and he drove 45 min each way to worship every Sunday at Emmanuel’s 9am service where he still ushered.

His “baby sister” Hazelle would come from Washington State for a week-long visit a couple of times each year, and they would play cribbage for hours.

Dad has always been very involved in our boys’ lives – being generous with his time and calendar. He attended Boy Scout ceremonies, school band and choir concerts, and cheered at countless swim meets. He has made it a point to be present for every special occasion, and we have enjoyed hundreds of casual meals together. He supported Brad’s love of biking and encouraged him and Greg to participate in Ride the Rockies. He taught Perry to drive - logging many hours driving on country roads and highways around Colorado, and ultimately gave him the Blue Jimmy as a Christmas gift. He was always available by phone or in person, and “Pops” was an integral part of both boys’ lives. What a blessing that has been for all of us!

In 2008, when Greg and I moved to Castle Rock it became apparent that it was not a good idea having Dad live on the other side of the city from us. While he still was living in his own house and taking care of it : mowing the lawn, cooking & cleaning, it was becoming a bit much for him – at age 92. We also felt it was no longer safe for him to drive. We convinced him to sell his house and move into an apartment at the “Independent Living” wing of Lincoln Meadows. He acquiesced, and moved closer to us. Brad and Jamie’s home was just a few blocks away from his new apartment, so having his great-grandchildren nearby was a wonderful “plus”. He has thoroughly enjoyed watching Mia, Luke, and Jase grow up – and enjoyed hearing Mia read and loved playing games like Uno, Memory, and Go Fish with Luke.

In November of 2015 - just before his 99th birthday, we moved Dad into Morningstar Jordan Assisted Living. It seemed that he needed some help getting to/from the dining room for meals, and the smaller facility had caregivers who spent more time helping him. Dad liked to sit by the fireplace or sit in the sunshine, ~~ he liked coffee with every meal ~~ he liked a mid-afternoon snack of popcorn or a cookie, ~ he liked chocolate ice cream for dessert: these simple wishes were met at Morningstar.

Dad celebrated his 100th birthday this past November. We had a party at our home where about 50 family and friends shared the afternoon with him. Morningstar Jordan also gave Dad a nice party. He was their first “centurion.”

On a Thursday in early January, Dad got dressed and went down to breakfast as normal. Following his regular meal of eggs, bacon, toast and coffee, he walked into the living room of MorningStar to sit by the fire. When it was time to go to lunch, he tried to get out of the easy chair, but his legs wouldn’t support him. The caring staff tried to help him stand, but he was in pain and he simply couldn’t stand. They brought his lunch to his chair and told him to relax a bit. By mid-afternoon it became clear that something was wrong. Greg and I went over and helped Dad get into bed where he could be comfortable. This was the beginning of the “end”…..

Dad lost all energy, lost control of his body, and – ultimately his system shut down.

Through this all, Dad remained sweet and appreciative of all the care and love he was given. Knowing he was going to meet Jesus and see Mom again was something he looked forward to – and while he had a wonderful 100 years of life, he was ready for the next chapter. As he had often said: “I think the Good Lord has forgotten that I’m still down here”….

Dad died peacefully, in his sleep early Saturday morning, February 4th 2017 at Morningstar Jordan.

One of the gifts he received for his 100th birthday was a poster that listed words that family members used to describe his character. Words frequently mentioned included: Honest, Faithful. Dependable. Loyal. Kind. Respectful. Supportive. Thoughtful. Loving. Available. and Generous. May we, his family, strive to exemplify these same qualities that characterized the life of Bob Dansdill.

***As a postscript: our family wants to say a heartfelt thank you to the entire staff of MorningStar Jordan. From the caring ladies that manned the concierge desk, to the dining room crew, to the hands-on care givers, to the entertainment director, nurse, and upper management: you all were wonderful. You took the time to always greet Dad with a smile ~ to help him get that cup of coffee, drink of apple juice., or chocolate chip cookie. You helped him snuggle down in his chair by the fireplace - and you brought him a blanket if he got cold. You spent time getting to know him and made him feel as if he was one of your favorite people. That love and care you daily demonstrated was so appreciated by us all. You have blessed us more than you know. Thank You!