Robert "Bob" H. Walker Jr.

                Robert H. Walker, Jr., 87, of Kearney formerly of Custer County, died Friday, April 12, 2019, at CHI Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

            Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at 11:00 AM at the United Methodist Church in Callaway with Pastors Shannon Williams and Jerry Schwarz officiating.  Burial will be in the Merna Cemetery with Military Honors.  A visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 16, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary with family present between 6:00 to 7:30 PM, and Wednesday morning 9:00 until service time at the United Methodist Church in Callaway.  Memorials are suggested to the Broken Bow VFW or the Callaway United Methodist Church.  Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.govierbrothers.com.

     Bob (Robert) was born on September 9, 1931, in Broken Bow, Nebraska to Robert Sr. and Laura (Brown) Walker.  He grew up and attended rural Custer County Schools and then went on to Broken Bow High School, graduating with the Class of 1949.  After graduation joined the National Guard Unit in Broken Bow and helped his parents with farming and worked for other area farmers as well.  In 1951 he joined the United States Navy and started his 22 year naval career, retiring as a Master Chief in 1973.  Bob was a Korean War Veteran and was able to go on one of the Korean War Veterans flights and was so very proud of his military career.

            He was united in marriage to M. Virginia Chilewski on October 26^th, 1953, and to this union, five children were born; Karen, Kathy, Robert III, Kelli, and Kori.  The family made their home wherever the Navy sent them.  Upon retirement from the Navy, they moved to Wellsville, Kansas where Bob was an electrician.  When Bob’s father passed in 1975 they moved the family to Broken Bow, Nebraska and he joined his brother in farming and ranching, his true love!  Upon retirement from farming, Bob became a crop adjuster and only left the profession when his health started failing forcing him to really retire this time.

            Bob accepted the Lord as his Savior and was baptized while living in Tennessee and raised his children in the faith.  Bob was a member of the Callaway United Methodist Church.   He was also a member of the American Legion and VFW Post 3576. 

            His greatest joys in life were family holidays and birthdays, it was important for everyone to be there!  But most important was following his grandchildren in all their school and sporting activities.  He was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather.

            Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, M. Virginia Walker, daughters, Karen (Mark) Myers of Merna, Kathy (Dennis) Anderson of Portland, Texas, Kelli (Alan) Estergard of Callaway and Kori (Scott) Quarles of Tonganoxie, Kansas, grandchildren, Codi (Chad) Kreutzer, Stephanie (Heath) Paulsen, Melissa (Jesse) Pandorf, Robert (Brittany) Myers, Ashley Anderson, and Matthew (Angela) Markham, 11 great-grandchildren, brothers, Bill, Arthur, Dave, of Burwell and Dan, of Oceanside, California sisters, Leona Cossart, of Belleville, Kansas, Donna Seeger, of Sebring, Florida, Linda Walker, of Burwell, Sharon Ohmberger, of Burwell and Beverly Mattingly, of Branson, Missouri and many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, son, Bobby, sister, Bonnie Whiley, brothers, Donald, and Leonard, and nephew, Jody Whiley.

            Memorials are suggested to the Callaway United Methodist Church or VFW Post 3576.