Robert Lowell Ewing

Robert Lowell Ewing was born on January 31, 1925 in Britton, S.D. to Ray and Augusta Ewing. His mother was transported by sled 18 miles from the family ranch to the hospital during a major blizzard. During the transport she fell from the sled and sometime later she was found and Bob was born. Bob likes to tell the story about how the term “Bobsled” was created. He passed away on January 3, 2015, just short of his 90th birthday. Bob met the love of his life, Miriam Louise Anderson, at Western Washington University and proposed a short time later on Sehome Hill in 1949. They married and resided in Brawley, California where Bob worked as a border patrolman along the Mexican Border. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Blaine where they raised their four children and Bob went to work with the US Customs for thirty years. During his early years in the Northwest he worked as a crop dusting pilot in Skagit County. Crop dusting introduced some dangerous situations, one in which Bob had to maneuver his plane over a barn and under the power line, leaving a space so small he actually left tire marks on the barn roof. A proud veteran, Bob loved his country. He was fiercely patriotic and wore his American flag hat almost everywhere he went. Bob was also a historian and loved museums. Bob and Miriam were proud Farm Foresters and planted their own forest together on their acreage along Nooksack River. They were very involved with the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. Some hobbies Bob enjoyed were backpacking, operating his farm equipment, and being pilot and chief flight instructor for the Bellingham Airport in the 1950s. He loved taking vacations in his airplane, working the soil in Miriam’s garden, and growing giant pumpkins for competitions. He is remembered for sharing stories of growing up on the family ranch in South Dakota, fishing, and picnics with his family. He enjoyed many large family gatherings on his property and cabins along the Nooksack River. Bob and Miriam worked together with their friends of the Washington Farm Forestry Association selling and distributing trees at the tree sale in Lynden every March. Bob is survived by his wife of 65 years, Miriam, brother; Gary Ewing, his children; Charlie (Kathy) Ewing, Melinda Ewing (Mike), Bob Jr. (Lorena) Ewing, and Mary (Jim) Green, grandchildren; Ken, Dan, Mark, Jon, and Luke, and great-grandchildren; Holly, Maya, Elias, and Hudson, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents; Ray and Augusta, and siblings; Betty, Curt, and Paul. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Washington State Farm Forestry Association at P.O. Box 1010, Chehalis, WA 9853, Boy Scouts of America at 1325 W. Walnut Hill Lane, Irving, Texas 75015, and the NRA at 11250 Waples Mill Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030. Bob’s family wants to thank the staff at Peaceful Villa Adult Family Home, especially Theresa, Lance, and Phyllis for all the loving care he received. At Bob’s request, no public services will be held.

Robert Lowell Ewing

January 31, 1925 - January 3, 2015