Robert was born in Waitsberg, which is north of WSU and south of Spokane. His father was a Ra ilroad telegraper and they lived at the depot. He was born there. They did not have many doct ors and sometimes the dentist delivered the baby, which was the case with Robert. He lived i n Tekoa, Touchet, Oaksdale and Spokane before he was 20. They lived at the depot until his da d retired and they bought a home in North Spokane on Hawthorne Street. His mother was a nurse s aid to supplement the income when his dad retired. Robert was a good kid but one Hallowee n he and some friends tripped over the outhouse at the school football field. His brother Ear l collected marbles and agates. Occasionally Robert would borrow them, if he got caught he' d get clobbered. When he was in the 5th grade he remembers walking 10 blocks in a winter sto rm. He and he brother had rubber guns that shot rubber bands they made out of an old tire tub e.When Robert was discharged from the USMC he stayed with his Aunt Maude, in southern Califo rnia, on his Dads side and saw the hollywood sights for 3 days. After he was married and thie r first child came along they went to stay with his older brother Earl on a ranch in Eugene , OR. Earl was raising chicken 10,000 of them. It was expensive feeding them so Earl worked f or a fruit grower and Robert worked at logging with a tracker and a work horse just to make i t through. Dad was in the war in the third division in the Marines in the Phillipines