Robert Lee Samuelson, 82, of Minonk, died at 2:37 p.m. Monday (March 6, 2006) at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington.

His funeral will be 1 p.m. Friday at Calvert & Froelich Memorial Home, Minonk, with the Rev. Ryan Garner and the Rev. David Steidel officiating. Burial will follow at Minonk Township Cemetery, with military graveside rites. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the memorial home.

He was born Oct. 29, 1923, in Quincy, the son of Frank and Verna Worthington Samuelson. He married Lola M. Clarkson on March 18, 1944, in Kirksville, Mo. She survives.

Also surviving are three sons, Ronald (Marsha) Samuelson of San Janicto, Calif.; Vernon (Patricia) Samuelson of Lebanon; and Timothy (Midge) Samuelson of Minonk; one daughter, Aleta (Michael) Rossman of Roseville; 12 grandchildren; five stepgrandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; 10 stepgreat-grandchildren; and five stepgreat-great-grandchildren.

Robert lived in Chicago until he enlisted in the Navy on Sept. 19, 1941, until July 8, 1948, where he saw action around the world until his honorable discharge. He attended schools in Chicago, attended Kletzing College in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and graduated from Olivet Nazarene College in 1953. He was a member of the Under Water Demolition Team 6 and the Navy Seal Museum in Fort Pierce, Fla.

He retired from teaching High School in 1986 where he taught at Minonk-Dana -Rutland High School for the last 28 years of his 32 years in teaching. He also worked as a security guard in Bloomington and served on the Minonk and Washburn police departments.

He enjoyed sailing, traveling, target shooting, reading and writing poetry. He loved and enjoyed his family and was successful in researching his family history to become eligible and joined the S.A.R (Sons of the American Revolution) in 2005. He recommitted himself to the Lord July 4, 1999. He was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Streator. For the past year he was a volunteer at Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Minonk and enjoyed it very much.