Robert Blair Morehouse

Robert Blair Bob Morehouse Another member of the Greatest Generation and one of the dwindling number of veterans of the Second World War is gone. Robert Blair Morehouse, age 92, passed away in the early morning hours of September 3, 2012 surrounded by his loving family. Bob was born in Blackduck, Minnesota on January 18, 1920 the fourth of seven children born to Eli Samuel and Rose (Anderson) Morehouse. He was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Blackduck on February 27th, 1920. In his very early childhood the family moved to Elmer, Minnesota where Bob and his siblings grew up in the railroad section house located less than 300 feet from double rail track where iron ore trains went by every 30 minutes (day and night!) and 600 feet from the St. Louis river where Bob and siblings spent the summers swimming and fishing and the winters skiing and skating! After finishing school at Elmer elementary school and Meadowlands High School, Bob joined the CCC for a year, then worked on Lake Minnetonka for a while before he decided to go to Chicago. He lasted about a week in the big city and then went back to Elmer until Uncle Sam called! Bob entered the U.S. Army in 1942, trained in Dothan, Alabama, the desert near Yuma, Arizona, and got his amphibious training in San Luis Obispo, California from where he shipped out to unknown according to his orders! He ended up in the South Pacific participating in many landings on small islands as well as in the battles of Pelilieu and the Gulf of Leyte as part of the 81st signal corps, 81st Black Cat division. In 1946, Staff Sergeant Robert B. Morehouse was discharged from the army at Fort Lewis his first experience with the Pacific Northwest! He went to Radio School in Kansas City, MO, obtained his First class license and was hired by Northwest Airlines as a radio operator. He worked in Butte and Bozeman, Montana and got his pilots license while in Bozeman. Then he went to Shemya, Alaska for a year and provided communications for the military airlift planes to and from Korea. Upon returning to the lower 48, he was assigned to Geiger Field in Spokane, Washington where the love of his life walked in one day to work as a teletype operator in the radio room with him. Bob and Carol Lee Clymer were married in Spokane on February 15, 1954 and spent the rest of Bobs life together. They spent time in Spokane; Cold Bay, Alaska; and Aniak, Alaska before being assigned to Bellingham as an Air Traffic Control Specialist with his new employer, the FAA. Bob, Carol and their four children settled in Ferndale, Washington in 1965 where they have lived ever since. He finished his work career by serving as a handicapped van driver and substitute custodian for the Ferndale School District. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Eli and Rose, by three sisters, Doris, Esther, and Lenora; one brother, Albert; and one beloved grandson, Jed. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carol; two sisters, Alyce Crist of Sparks, Nevada and Jean Mathisen an husband, Alvin, of Salt Lake City, Utah; one daughter, Nancy Hill and husband Richard of Ferndale; three sons, David of Denver, CO, Dana and wife Judy of Renton, and Dennis and wife Sandy of Hillsboro, OR. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Ben Engler and wife Darcy, Jon Engler and Dana, Jon Hill and wife, Sarah, Tori Hill, Brandon Morehouse, Jillian Morehouse, Sarah Duncan and Brian Ehardt; as well as four great-grandchildren, Andrew Engler, Nicholas Edson, Roman, and Alyssa Wheatley. Bobs greatest joys in life were his family, followed by golf, the Mariners, fishing, and his John Deere tractors! Farewell Tribute Information Services will be held at Zion Lutheran Church 7215 Valley View Road, Ferndale at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 7th. The service will be followed by a reception in the church basement and the placing of his ashes at Enterprise Cemetery with military honors. Officiating at the services will be Pastors Karen Bloomquist and Robert E. Johnson

Robert Blair Morehouse

January 18, 1920 - September 3, 2012