CHRISTOPHER, Robert (Bob) Donald

The Verde Independent, Cottonwood, AZ September 30, 2006 Robert "Bob" Donald Christopher, 85, of Cornville, died Sept. 26, 2006. He was born on July 26, 1921, in Eagle Grove, Iowa. He was the fourth of five children born to Edward and Molly Christopher. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Eagle Grove. He graduated from Eagle Grove High School in 1939 and attended Iowa State University until the start of World War II. In 1942 he joined the Navy and served on the USS Essex aircraft carrier in the South Pacific as a Seaman First Class until the end of the war. He married Arlene Wooster on March 17, 1944, while on leave. After the war, they worked on the Christopher family farm where their two children were born. The family then moved to Phoenix where Bob started Industrial Refrigeration, Inc, and built a successful enterprise before retiring to Cornville in 1982. In the mid-'80s Bob was a founding member of the Mighty Midgets of Arizona and won several races with his midget race car, No. 44. Not one to sit still and retire with his feet up, Bob became avid roper and quickly earned the respect of his fellow cowboys as an expert heeler. With the nick name "Tough Cowboy" he won several trophies and awards while roping throughout the Verde Valley. He joined the Verde Vaquero's in the mid-1990s and helped the organization with their spring trail ride for many years. In recent years, Bob became a member of the Arizona Flywheelers and the Verde Valley Corvette Club. He is survived by son Bruce Christopher (Christy Hertzberg), of Soquel, Calif.; his daughter Christine Chapman of Rimrock, and five grandchildren.