Robert "Bob" John Borchard

Robert "Bob" Borchard, 85, of Mansfield, SD, passed away Thursday, June 18, 2015, at Bethesda Home of Aberdeen.

His funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 24, 2015, at Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Mansfield, with Pastor Bret Bierman officiating.

Burial, with military rites conducted by Mansfield American Legion Post #289, will take place at the church cemetery.

Visitation will be 5-7:00 p.m., Tuesday, at the mortuary in Aberdeen with a public prayer service, led by Dr. Dave Peterson, taking place at 7:00 p.m. Visitation continues one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.

Robert John Borchard was born on August 31, 1929, to Fred and Mary (Elsing) Borchard in Aberdeen, SD. He was raised in the rural Mansfield area and attended country school before graduating from Warner High School with the Class of 1947. Bob furthered his education at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, before entering the United States Army and serving his country during the Korean War. Following his Honorable Discharge on March 14, 1953, he returned to the Mansfield area.

Bob married Bernice Herr on November 23, 1957. They shared 45 years of marriage, farmed, and raised three children before she passed away in 2002.

On April 7, 2003, Bob was united in marriage to Arlene Hartwig. The couple lived on the farm until two years ago, when Bob fully retired from farming. He became a resident of Bethesda Home of Aberdeen in December of 2014 and continued to reside there until the time of his death.

A man of faith, Bob was baptized, confirmed, and was a life-long member of Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Mansfield. He was involved in the church choir and men's club, in addition to holding various positions in the church throughout the years. Bob was also very active in the community, serving on the Warner School Board, New Hope Township Board, East River Electric Board, Northern Electric Board, and a lifetime member of the Mansfield American Legion Post #289. He was an extremely proud Democrat and was very involved in the activities that went along with that.

Bob was an avid gardener and would always share his produce with family and neighbors. He especially looked forward to seeing the Pasque flowers that would grow on his land. Bob loved the outdoors and had a passion for hunting pheasant, deer, duck, geese, elk, and moose and also loved fishing. Bob also found great enjoyment traveling throughout the United States and abroad. Above all, Bob's pride and joy were his grandchildren. He never missed an opportunity to spend time with them. He was a loving Dad and Grandpa and was very involved in his family's lives. Many hours were spent on the soccer fields, no matter what the weather conditions, and he was known for his buckets of chocolate chip cookies for the girls.

Blessed to have shared in Bob's life are his wife, Arlene Borchard of Aberdeen; children: Karen (Jeff) Koch of Sacramento, CA, Kay Atkins of Dix, NE and John (Anita) Borchard of Aberdeen; stepchildren: Brenda (Roger) Heimgartner of Rushford, MN, Sherry (Gary) Ehret of Eagan, MN, Kenny (Becky) Hartwig of Rose Creek, MN and Rocky Schammel of Rose Creek, MN; grandchildren: Rob (Tanya) Rath of Citrus Heights, CA, Danielle Borchard (Tyler Akerlind) of Minneapolis, MN, and Sarah Borchard of Aberdeen; great-grandson, Vincent Rath, Citrus Heights, CA; great grand-daughter, Riley Price, Roseville, CA; several step grandchildren and step great-grandchildren; brother-in-law, Ray (Lillian) Herr of Jamestown, ND; sister-in-law, Dorothy (Jack) Cross of Green Castle, IN; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Bernice; siblings: Lorna, Bernice, Harold, Albert, Orville, and Glen; stepdaughter, Debbie Schammel; and son-in-law, Mike Rieck.