Robert Frank Dietz (7/2/1919--9/17/2006)

Two years ago, an amazing life came to an end. Bob Dietz lived most of his life in a small town. He was one of the “little people” that make the world go around; and yet he lived an amazing life.

He was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming when the west was still “western.” His family moved to Texas and to the town that would be home for the rest of his life: Borger, Texas. As a young man he became tired of being told what to do, so he joined the Army. (Okay, so young men don’t always think things through.) He became a radar man and spent WWII in Burma. The stories he told of this time play out like the adventures you read about. He encountered head-hunters and King Cobras. He was nearly washed away by the Indian Ocean and was stalked by a Tiger for over a week. In his travels with the army he circumnavigated the globe (going in the direction that made him one day younger, he liked to point out.)

He was tall and skinny and he had a head of curly hair that he liked to comb straight back. He could build anything out of wood. He liked westerns and cartoons. He read the funny papers. He had the most amazing recliner, and when he would take naps in it he snored. He actually had one of those snores that whistle from time to time. He had a workshop. He built great seats in the limbs of trees for little boys to sit in.

He was a layman, but he studied his Bible as much as many preachers and he led people to Christ, lots of people. He was an inspiration. His legacy lives on.

Love you, Papa, and we’ll see you later.

Comments

  1. It seems that I am always learning something new about Papa. head-hunters? tigers??
    I also never really thought about how he combed his curly hair back. It's just the way he fixed his hair and I never thought to wonder what it would look like very curly.

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  2. Did you never hear his stories from Burma? I got him to share some on a video tape. I need to see if I can convert it to digital someday. There is not enough room here to relate everything. I may have to do some entries someday. He has some great stories about two different cobras he encountered there too!

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  3. I always heard stories but not directly from him. Either I would overhear him telling someone else or someone else would tell the stories to me. Now I wish that I would have asked. I do remember him telling about the time that he was washed out into the middle of the Indian Ocean. It seemed unreal to me. I would love it if you could write it all down one day.

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  4. This is wonderful, Jason. I hope someoned printed it off for Liz. I'll make sure she gets it.

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