FAMILIES IN ELK RIVER ARE
REMEMBERING A MAN WHO SPENT
DECADES VOLUNTEERING IN THE
COMMUNITY.
HE WORKED WITH THE YOUTH
HOCKEY LEAGUE AND THE SCHOOL
BOARD ALL WHILE RAISING HIS OWN
KIDS.
HE HAD TIME FOR US BUT HE
FOUND A GOOD BALANCE AND HE WAS
BIG IN THE COMMUNITY, HELPING
PEOPLE OUT.
BOB KISH OBAMA WAS --
KIRSCHBALM KNOWN FOR HIS LIFE
OF FISHING AND CAMPING.
BOB WAS ALSO AN IMPORTANT
ROLEMODEL TO MANY PEOPLE.
HE WAS BUSY ALL THE TIME.
DAD WAS VERY ANTSY, ALWAYS WAS,
EVEN IN RETIREMENT.
WHEN HE DIDN'T HAVE THINGS TO
DO IT DROVE HIM NUTS.
THE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF
BOB'S TWO SONS AND DAUGHTER
REVEAL HOW MUCH HE LOVED THE
OUTDOORS AND HOCKEY.
BACK IN THE LATE 1960s HE
STARTED COACHING HIGH SCHOOL
KIDS IN ELK RIVER'S YOUTH
HOCKEY LEAGUE.
WE SPENT OUR WINTERS AT THE
HOCKEY RINK THAT WAS OUTSIDE ON
SNOW BANKS EITHER WATCHING
GAMES OR PLAYING.
Reporter: HIS CHILDREN SAY
BOB SPENT SO MUCH TIME FISHING,
HE NEARLY WORE OUT HIS BOATS.
HE PASSED ON HIS AFFECTION FOR
FISHING AND CAMPING TO HIS KIDS
AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN.
AND AS MUCH AS HE LOVED ELK
RIVER, HE ENJOYED TRAVELING TO
OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WITH
HIS WIFE LEVAN.
ONE OF THE REASONS HE LIKED
TO TRAVEL IS MEETING DIFFERENT
PEOPLE.
YES.
AND I SAY HE SAW THE UNITED
STATES THROUGH A WINDSHIELD
BECAUSE HE DROVE.
Reporter: HIS SONS AND
DAUGHTERS SAY THEY ADMIRED
THEIR DAD'S STRONG WORK ETHIC.
HE RESPECTED OTHERS AND DID
WHAT HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO
WHICH WE DON'T GET A LOT
ANYWHERE.
HE ALWAYS SAID YOU'RE ONLY AS
GOOD AS YOUR WORD, IF THAT'S
NOT GOOD, NOR ARE YOU.
Reporter: AS THEY LOOK BACK
AT THEIR FATHER'S VOLUNTEER
WORK, THEY APPRECIATE HOW HE
JUGGLED IT ALL.
HIS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
KIND OF WOUND DOWN, IT WAS ALL
ABOUT FAMILY WITH MY DAD.
Reporter: ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO
4 NEWS.
BOB KIRSCHBALM WAS 82 YEARS
OLD WHEN HE PASSED AWAY LAST
FRIDAY.
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