Robert Lauren Gilkey
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Robert "Bob" Lauren Gilkey was born January 30, 1931 and was called to be with Jesus on June 8, 2020. Bob is survived by his wife Myra "Bebe", his children Kraig (Tina), Karmal (Mark) and Marina (Dean), nine grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. He suffered from Alzheimer's and had been in care in Billings.
Bob was born and raised on the family farm in Bear Springs Montana, attended the local one-room school and then High School in Denton Montana. He was baptized and confirmed at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Denton. A life long passion was horses and cowboying. He was a gifted stockman. He met Bebe while she taught at that same one-room school and were married on December 26, 1951. They rented a farm in Melville Montana when Kraig was born. Bob, gifted with things mechanical, worked as a Ford tractor mechanic in Great Falls Montana and then worked on a ranch near Hobson Montana when Karmal was born. They moved to the Portland Oregon area to work in the paper mills before returning to ranch in Hobson, where Marina was born (actually in Great Falls!)
Bob was an early developer of modern confined swine production in Montana and many other ambitious agriculture practices. Bob and Bebe moved to Three Forks Montana to farm in 1980. While there Bob suffered a bad truck accident followed by long recovery and retirement. In retirement, Bob was active with Bebe in the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Belgrade Montana and traveled throughout the west and Mexico with MMAP (mobile missionary assistance program) working as volunteers on church related building projects. Bob was an avid machinist and welder and built many things over an innovative lifetime. His life touched family, friends and neighbors.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Aleta and his brother Lloyd. There will be a graveside service for Bob at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Bozeman, Friday, June 12, 2020 at 1:00 pm. Arrangements are in the care of Dahl Funeral Chapels Billings-Bozeman and memories may be shared at www.dahlfuneralchapel.com