Robert "Bob" Runner, 86, of Bowman, ND, passed away on Friday, February 3, 2017 at the Southwest Healthcare Hospital in Bowman.

Funeral Services for Bob will be at 11:00 am on Friday, February 10, 2017 at the Bowman Lutheran Church.  Pastor Mark Nygard will officiate with burial to follow in the Bowman Cemetery.  Visitation will be on Thursday, February 9, 2017 from 10-9 at the Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Home Chapel.

Bob was born on October 19, 1930 in Pueblo, Colorado, to Robert W. and Myrtle (Patterson) Runner. When Bob was six years old, the family moved to Ridgeway, CO, where he started grade school. Bob attended high school in Ft. Collins, CO and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Husbandry from Colorado A&M in 1952. Upon graduating from college, Bob worked at several ranches as a livestock showman. He enjoyed fitting cattle for the show ring, and many of his escapades were shared in later years.
In 1957, Bob took a job with the Soil Conservation Service in Linton, ND. A year later, he was transferred to Hazen, ND, where he met JoAnn Brosz…the rest as they say, is history. Bob and JoAnn were married in 1960 and eventually moved to Bowman, ND, where Bob continued to work for the SCS. He became the Area Range Conservationist for an eight-county region before retiring in 1976. Bob then began a new career as a photographer. In recent years, they added a trophy business where Bob did his own engraving.
Bob had a great love of the outdoors and of teaching. Many a picnic turned into an impromptu lesson on plant identification; his kids were encouraged to learn both the common and scientific names of the plants they would see. Bob taught an adult Vo-Ag class and assisted at numerous youth range events. He spent several years working for the Bowman County Weed Board where he applied his knowledge of plants. If Bob didn't recognize a plant, he relished searching through his library of reference books to figure it out. Bob loved to dance and spent many years as a square dance caller. He enjoyed reading books, riding horses, and baking desserts with his grandkids.
Bob is survived by his wife JoAnn; daughters: Nina (Steve) Pekron, Norma Runner, and Naomi (Joe) Zurn; grandchildren: Zane, Allison, and Grace Pekron, Emily and Nicholas Zurn; several nieces and nephews.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, sisters: Eileen Walker and Glenna Mueller; brother-in-law: Jerry Walker.

Krebsbacha and Kulseth Funeral Services in charge of the arrangements.