Funeral services for 81-year-old Robert “Bob” Rathman of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning, April 8, 2015, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Comfrey, Minnesota. The church is located at 218 Field Street North.
Interment will be in the church cemetery located along Highway #258 North in rural Comfrey.
Father Andy Michels will officiate at the services.
The reception will be held in the Comfrey Community Center, located at 120 Brown Street East.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2015, at Sturm Funeral Home-Sleepy Eye Chapel, located at 301 3rd Avenue S. W., and at the church the day of the funeral service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Robert ‘Bob’ Rathman passed away on Monday, March 30, 2015, in Sleepy Eye.
Robert “Bob” John Rathman was born on September 6, 1933 in Comfrey, the son of Edwin and Amelia (Eckstein) Rathman. He graduated from Comfrey Public High School in 1952. He enlisted in and served in the United States Army from 1954-1956.
Bob was united in marriage to Barbara Callanan on June 1, 1957 and they made their home in Sleepy Eye, where Bob was employed at Del Monte until his retirement in 1992.
Bob and Barb raised five children.
He was a member of the Sleepy Eye Golf Club, the Card Club at Railway Bar and Grill and the Sleepy Eye Bowling Alley. He was involved in many bowling and golf tournaments. Bob enjoyed golfing, fishing, hunting, doing puzzles in the winter, coin collecting and playing cards. He especially enjoyed watching his kids, grandkids and great grandkids in sporting events.
Bob is survived by his wife of 57 years, Barb of Sleepy Eye; sons, Jeff of Williams, Minnesota and Tom (Sheila) of Otsego, Minnesota; daughter, Mary Blackstad of Mankato, Minnesota; son-in-law, John Schmitt of Comfrey; grandchildren, Angie (Jeremy) Pidde and their children Hailey, Sammy and Lucy of Comfrey, Nikki (Dave) Wandberg and their children Reid and Blake of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mitch Blackstad and fiance Randi Wise of New Ulm, Mandy Blackstad and daughter, Aubrey of Mankato, Caitlyn Blackstad and son, Bricen Joel of Mankato, TJ and Joey Rathman of Otsego; brother, Val (Marion) of Comfrey; sisters, Marian Frandrup of Randolf, Minnesota and Dolores Dorland of Mankato and many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Wilfred; sisters, Gladys Laik and Irene Rathman; daughter, Julie Schmitt and son, Joel Rathman.