Robert Duane 'Bob' Fuhrmann

On March 3, 2015, Robert Duane "Bob" Fuhrmann was released from the darkness of his Alzheimer's disease bondage and went on to his great reward.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 16, at the First Presbyterian Church, 535 N. Ewing Street in Helena, followed by a reception in the social center of the church. Burial with Military Honors will follow the reception at 2 p.m. at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison.

Born in Glasgow, Mont., in 1933, he was the eighth of the 12 children Fred and Dorothea Fuhrmann brought into the simple, rural life of North Valley County. He lived a humble, happy life as a child, attending Glasgow schools until 1950 when he moved with his mother and father to Red Bluff, Calif., and graduated from high school.

He and several of his high school buddies enlisted in the U.S. Army and were deployed to Korea, where Bob served as a sergeant and a surveyor in an artillery unit during combat. He was extremely proud of his military service, but when his enlistment ended, he eagerly headed home to Glasgow where his heart and many close family members still remained.

Back in Glasgow, he not only worked numerous menial jobs, but also worked to win the hand of the lovely and pure Marie Saindon, with whom, after two years of courtship, he married. They spent 58 wedded years together and had three children, Don, Randall and Kathleen.

In January 1957, he began work as a surveyor on the Glen Canyon Dam and the town of Page, Ariz. He spent hot summer days hanging hundreds of feet down the Grand Canyon walls on ropes and harnesses while Marie kept a home for them in temporary quarters. During this time, he earned a beloved nickname "808." When he attempted to stencil his name "BOB ' on his hard hat, he was met with questions and concerns from his co-workers about how he acquired the number 808. Feeling sheepish after he pointed out their mistake, his buddies continued to call him 808 as his children did to the end of his days.

Feeling a longing for home, he and Marie moved back to Glasgow, and he searched for gainful employment through the local job service. When his testing and interviewing skills demonstrated a high aptitude for management and training, he was offered a position with the Job Services office instead of being referred out. He took the Job Service position and began a career in the Montana Department of Labor which lasted over 30 years. His abilities led to a series of promotions and transfers, which ranged from two years in Havre to eight years in Billings. He excelled in the local job service office and earned the post as manager of the Youth Opportunity Center.

While in Billings, he became active in the local chapter of the American Legion and eventually served as Yellowstone Post Commander. He especially loved overseeing American Legion Baseball and took his boys to numerous Legion baseball games at Cobb Field in Billings. He even hosted Major League Baseball star Dave McNally, a Billings American Legion team alum, for a packed house meet and greet and autograph signing.

He excelled at leadership and enjoyed working with youth. He combined these passions and his love for the outdoors as he rose to the level of troop leader for Billings Boy Scout Post #4.

He was offered another promotion, this time to the central office in Helena as a manpower training specialist. The Fuhrmanns moved their fledgling family to Helena where they established a stable, loving household. He and Marie both ended up working tirelessly as public servants, offering their labor honestly and willingly as devoted government employees.

He always saw his public employment work as important and gave of himself generously. His frequent encouragement to his children was to give an honest day's work for an honest day's wages. This, he said, would allow one to rest well at night.

He worked his way to bureau chief in the State Department of Labor, establishing himself as a gifted manager and administrator. Many people who worked for him praised his leadership style and appreciated his approach to supervising. Upon his retirement, the Department of Labor established the Bob Fuhrmann award, which was given annually to the employee who most exemplified the qualities of leadership, integrity and public service which Bob embodied throughout his career.

The motivation for his retirement at the spry age of 55 was the birth of his first grandchild, Corinne. Two grandsons, Adam and Nicholas, followed. In 2012, his first great-grandchild, Heath, was born. Even with the advanced onset of his disease, he still delighted in babies and toddlers. Heath was no exception and became the third generation of Bob's "kids" to be held, rocked and talked to in his giggle-inducing Donald Duck voice lavished with great-grandpa Bob's gentle, loving adoration.

Prior to the onset of Alzheimer's disease, he and Marie were able to move to the warm climate of Sun City, Ariz., and enjoy numerous years of travel, including the US Heritage tour, New England, Disney World and Disneyland with children and grandchildren.

In 2002, he and Marie moved back to Helena to be closer to family. It was important for him to build Marie the house of her dreams.

He loved gardening, woodworking, fishing and tinkering. He was handy and proficient with household maintenance, remodeling and redecorating. He loved craft projects and creating things of beauty. Whether he was making jewelry, crafting cabinetry, building furniture or fabricating the numerous items that have sold through the annual Presbyterian Church bazaar, he exuded an infectious good-nature and gratitude toward life. His life was the embodiment of a "glass-half-full."

Survivors include his wife, Marie (Saindon) Fuhrmann; three children, Donald Edward Fuhrmann, Randall Roy Fuhrmann and his wife, Renee' Driessen, Kathleen (Fuhrmann) Gazy and her husband, Tim; three grandchildren, Corinne Hoberecht Todd and her husband, Ryan, Adam Hoberecht and Nicholas Traynor; one great-grandson, Heath Paul Ranier Todd; one brother, Jerome Fuhrmann; and two sisters, Lafern (Fuhrmann) Reed and Betty (Fuhrmann) Watson; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Please visit http://www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Bob.

Memorials are suggested to the First Presbyterian Church, 535 N. Ewing, Helena, MT 59601.