A Mass of Christian Burial for Bob Mulhern, age 78, of Milford, will be held Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 10:30am, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be on Tuesday, April 5, after 3:00pm, with the family present from 5:00-7:00pm, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. There will be a Knights of Columbus Rosary Service at 6:30pm.
Robert, “Bob” Mulhern, a loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother and Son was born July 23, 1943, to Stella and Dale Mulhern, in Sheldon, Iowa.
Bob enjoyed growing up on the family farm in Sheldon, Iowa, attending a small country schoolhouse and graduating from Sheldon High School. After graduation he attended Iowa State University studying Agriculture. He was called home early when his father became ill and passed.
During the summer of 1962, he met the love of his life, Marilyn “Mari” Schoo, in Ashton, Iowa, at a local drive-in. An unexpected car ride home led to a first date. They were united in marriage on August 21, 1965. After newly married, Bob became a member of the Air National Guard/Tactical Air Command as a radar maintenance technician. Bob was stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, which was where they welcomed their first child Matthew.
After serving in the National Guard, in 1967, they moved their young family back to Iowa where he worked in the grocery business in both Storm Lake and Cherokee. Soon after, they welcomed daughter Teresa followed by Jeffrey and Scott. Changing careers, he began working for Prudential Insurance, moving to Spencer, Iowa, in 1972, and welcoming their 5th, child Melissa.
In 1976, he decided to get back in the grocery store business opening a new store in Spirit Lake, Iowa. It was in Spirit Lake that their family grew with the blessed additions of Jennifer, Kelly and Mark.
Finally in 1993, his life-long dream of farming became a reality with a purchase of a farm in Milford, Iowa. It was there that Bob and Mari resided and enjoyed the peaceful country life to this day.
You could always find Bob enjoying a good card game, visiting with anyone who entertained his endless jokes, fishing with his sons and grandsons, picnics, traveling to wherever with Mari, attending sporting events, especially his grandchildren’s, and of course, being with his kids no matter what. He made the BEST popcorn and always had a “Coke” waiting for you!
Left to cherish in his memory are his wife of 56 years, Mari; children, Teresa (Phil) Miklo, Jeff (Karma) Mulhern, Scott Mulhern, Missy (Kevin) Brown, Jenny (Michael) Johannsen, Kelly (Sami) Mulhern, Mark Mulhern, and daughter-in-law Amy Mulhern; grandchildren, Regan (Mark) Norland, Nathan Miklo (Shaelyn Adams), Joshua, Katelynn and Karter Mulhern, Molly and Mitchel Mulhern, Ashley, Morgan and Autumn Brown, Rylee Johannsen, Elinor and Hudson Mulhern, Mackenzie Mulhern (Michael Holmes) and her sister Madeline Mulhern; step-grandchildren Brittany (Kiefer) TeGrootenhuis, and Brandon (Courtney) Johannsen and sister Janene (Norman) Freking.
Bob was preceded in death by his son Matthew, granddaughter Meredith, parents Stella and Dale Mulhern, in-laws Joe and Pauline Schoo and many beloved family members.
Bob passed away March 31, 2022, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Turner Jenness Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.