Robert Burton Haring

 

Robert Burton Haring was born August 24th,1922 in Marquette, Michigan, and left for Heaven on December 4th, 2021, from Grand Marais, Minnesota.

He was born to Leslie and Florence Haring, joining his older brother Vern, with brothers Bill, Burt, and Kenny coming along in later years. Raised on a depression era farm, the boys worked hard and walked quite a distance to school. When Pearl Harbor occurred, Bob joined the Army, and rode the troop train to California to Camp Cooke and learned to march at the Santa Anita racetrack. He trained in equipment mechanics and desert warfare, expecting to be sent to North Africa. By D-Day he was needed instead, in France, where he was assigned to Patton’s 3rd Army, 11th Armored Division, and took part in the rescue of the 101st Airborne, during the Battle of the Bulge. He drove a 10-ton wrecker and a tank transport, doing mechanical work while camped. His division was the first to discover and liberate a concentration camp in Mauthausen, Austria. He was in Berlin for VE Day, and cheered on VJ Day, because he was slated to head to the Pacific soon.

Bob was expecting to not survive the war, so when it was over, he was sort of at loose ends. Attending Michigan State studying Agriculture for a while, and then getting the call to the Ministry, he headed to Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, where he met Audrey Lyth, and it wasn’t long before they were married in 1948. His first experience preaching was over Christmas break, in Waskish, Minnesota, and he fell in love with the north central part of that state, and the people there, yearning for the Lord. Bob and Audrey accepted a position soon afterward in Carp, Minnesota, during which daughter Linda was born. Moving on eventually to serve churches in Clotho and Reynolds, daughter Juanita and son Carson came along. In 1960 they moved to Daggett, Michigan, and were involved while a new church building was raised in nearby Stephenson. Daughters Melodee and Dawn arrived during those years, and in 1966 the Harings headed to Manistique, Michigan to serve, staying until 1973, when Marshfield, Wisconsin needed them. Ministering in Wisconsin, the older children began to move out on their own, or marry, and Bob and Audrey moved to a new experience in Stratford, Iowa in 1978, where the remaining children graduated and moved on. Before retirement, Bob and his bride moved to western Nebraska, and served two small congregations in and near Hayes Center.

Retiring brought them to Grand Marais, Minnesota, back to their beloved north country, to be near several of their children and grandchildren, enjoying serving where they could at Cornerstone Community Church and in the community, and taking all summer-long motorcycle trips, a strong interest since 1960. They popped in on friends, past congregations, and were constant witnesses for the Lord wherever they camped. Bob always said he felt inadequate for the ministry and gave all praise to the Lord for any spiritual accomplishments. Many people he led to the Lord are greeting him in Heaven.

Preceding Bob to Glory are his parents, brothers Vern, Burt, and Kenny, his wonderful wife Audrey, whom he cared for daily during her last years on earth, and a son-in-law Dan Kummer (Juanita).

Surviving Bob are his brother Bill; daughters, Linda (Brian), Juanita, Melodee (Dan), Dawn (James); son, Carson (Robin); twenty grandchildren; and numerous great grandchildren.

Interment will be in the Cambria, Iowa cemetery. To share your memories or condolences online please visit www.cavallinfuneralhome.com.