Robert Emerson Bush

Bob and his wife, Betty Jean Johnson-Bush, lived in Maryville, Missouri from 1968 to 2015 when they moved to Edgewater Senior Living in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Bob was born on his parent’s orchard and farm on May 30, 1935, in Buchanan County, Missouri. He was the son of Emerson E. Bush and Maria Anna Doring-Bush. Both preceded him in death. His younger brother and sister are twins; Carroll Francis Bush in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Helen Ann Bush-Gooseman of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.

Preceding him was his wife Betty who was his anchor and love of his life. Survivors include his children, Greg (Char), Jeff (Patti), and Traci; grandchildren, Brenna, Jake, Hanna, Lauren, and Reagan; and great-grandchildren, Hayden and Andersyn.

Bob graduated from Bethel School in 1949 and Benton High School in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1953. He received his undergraduate degree in 1957 from Northwest Missouri State University. He received a Master’s degree in 1967 from the University of Missouri in Secondary and Higher Education Administration. He completed his EdD from the University of Missouri in 1973.

In June of 1961, Bob completed his USAF pilot training at Enid, Oklahoma. He served a total of 27 years in the Missouri Air National Guard at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, and five years with the Air Force Reserve in Washington D.C. Bob retired as a Lt. Colonel after 32 years of service. Bob taught for one year at Neely Elementary School in St. Joseph, Missouri. In the summer of 1963, he was accepted into the NASA Educational (Moon Buggy) Program at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. There, he served for five years as a lecturer and teacher.

In April of 1968, Bob returned to Northwest Missouri State University to teach. Bob taught and served in a number of administrative positions during his 34 years of service to Northwest. He was also a visionary in developing alternative fuel options for the University.

After retirement in 2005, Bob was a member of the Heartland Foundation staff and continued the University Foundation Healthy Communities Partnership in the Four Corners Region of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. He became a volunteer with the Heartland Foundation, Maryville Optimist Club, Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation, The Great Northwest Day at the Capital, the Northwest Missouri Leadership Initiatives, and the MERIL Governing Board in St. Joseph, Missouri.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Northwest Foundation supporting the Johnson-Bush Scholarship: Northwest Missouri State University Foundation, Johnson/Bush Scholarship, 800 University Dr., Maryville, MO 64468.