Robert Baugh, age 83 or Jordan.

Robert ‘Bob’ Kelly Baugh, the first of three boys, was born on April 10, 1933 in Goliad, Texas to Robert Andrew Baugh and Dixie Verlie Roberts Baugh. Brothers Randal Curtis and Phillip Morris would later join this family. Bob’s mother and father divorced and she married George McGehee. Later, due to his mother’s illness, the family moved to live with Bob’s aunt Ruby and her husband Joe White. Bob’s mother died in 1948 when Bob was 15, she left Bob and his brother Phillip to be raised by Ruby and Joe. (Randall had passed away as an infant.) In 1950, Bob graduated from the Sabinal High School in the small town of Sabinal, Texas located about 60 miles west of San Antonio, Texas. From there, he went to Austin and lived with his grandmother, Lockie Roberts while he attended the Univ. of Texas for about a year and a half. Then Bob decided to go adventuring. He joined a seismograph crew and before too long came to Montana. It was in Jordan, Montana that Bob and Alta M.J. Hellyer first met. One night when Bob was walking home from the bar, he saw a lady through the window at the Garfield County Hospital. Thinking it was someone he knew, he knocked on the window to be let in. Instead of a familiar face, he saw Alta… his future wife. She was working as a CNA with Dr. Farrand at the time. Bob said, “Alta was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, she had the prettiest blond hair”. Alta’s response to that was, “Bob was very forward and a true Texan.” When asked how he won Alta’s heart, Bob said, “I was persistent!” Bob and Alta were married March 10th, 1954 in Sabinal, Texas at the First Baptist Church.

In December of 1953, Bob was drafted into the Army out of Garfield County. He completed 8 weeks of basic training in Fort Ord, California, then went on to Fort Knox, Kentucky for Advanced Basic Training where he received his Tanker MOS. From there Bob went to Fort Hood in Texas, where he was Tank Commander/Gunner. In 1955 Bob and Alta moved to Camp Losey in Ponce, Puerto Rico for a year, it was here that Bob started shooting in competition with a 22 pistol. Next, they moved to Fort Kobbe, Panama, in the Caribbean.   Both Bob and Alta agreed that Fort Kobbe was the best tour of all. From Panama, they came back to the States and were stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma for thirteen months where he continued shooting pistols in competition full time. Both Alta and Bob felt fortunate to have survived the tornado rampages while there. Bob was then offered a job with the 4^th Army Pistol team shooting competition which he accepted. Each year he and a team would represent the Army at Camp Perry, Ohio for the Nationals. From here, Bob and Alta went to Germany where he was stationed for 3 1/2 years. It was while they were in Germany that they met three-month-old Patrick at the ‘Foundling Home’ and began adoption proceedings to make him part of their family.   Bob and Alta returned to the United States to Fort Holabird in Baltimore, Maryland where Bob attended Intelligence School for 22 weeks. Bob was then sent to Language School at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA for 46 weeks. Bob stated that from the time he started working in the Intelligence Corps, he worked out of uniform. He said he “fought two wars in civilian clothes with the Intelligence Corps,” and reported that he never wore a uniform again except his Dress Greens. Alta and Patrick stayed in Monterey while Bob was sent to Korea. He returned 13 months later and the family moved to San Antonio, TX. Not long afterwards, Bob went to Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY. Alta and Patrick followed about 6 months later. The family stayed here for the next 2 years. It was in New York, that Patrick received his United States Citizenship papers. The family then went to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX for one year before Bob was transferred to Vietnam in 1970. Bob’s last post was in Wichita Falls, TX where he was Special Agent in charge of the Wichita Falls Resident Agency. Bob started his military career as a Private E1 and retired on March 31, 1974 a Chief Warrant Officer – 2.

After Bob’s retirement from the army, the Baughs moved to the Bitterroot Valley of Montana where Bob worked on a ranch as a farm hand. Bob said it was, “…the best job I ever had.” After this they moved to Hamilton, MT where Bob worked at a paint store. In 1976 Bob received an invitation from Larry Harbaugh to work as a guide on his family’s ranch. The family moved just outside of Jordan, MT where Bob worked on the Harbaugh Ranch for two years. When Bob became a Field Office Manager for Congressman Ron Marlenee the family moved to the town of Jordan. In the two years Bob had this job, between 1977 and 1979, Bob traveled to every county and every paved road in Eastern Montana. In 1979 Bob became Deputy Sheriff of Garfield County until 1981 when Patrick graduated from Garfield County High School. Bob, Alta and Patrick then moved to Pflugerville, Texas where Patrick went to College. During this time and for the next 14 1/2 years, Bob worked as a guard for the Texas Department of Public Safety.   Montana called however, and Bob and Alta moved back to Jordan in 1997 where Bob worked for Bumgarner Harvesting for a few years during the grain harvest before he retired. Throughout his life, Bob was an avid hunter, fisherman and photographer as well as a lifetime member of the NRA. While in Texas, Bob made many trips to hunt near Jordan, Montana, making sure he timed these visits to coincide with the Fairview Turkey Shoot. His cousin, Doogie White often made the trip with him. Other hobbies of his were target shooting and reloading. He took great pride in the science of reloading as well as striving for the perfect target grouping. Bob continued to attend the Fairview Turkey Shoot throughout his life.      As a family, Bob, Alta and Patrick frequently traveled and enjoyed camping as well as getting to know the different people and cultures of the areas they visited. Alta reports that she kept a running list of the places they had pitched their tent written on the outside of the tent walls. Bob had many facets to his personality. Every morning Bob prayed for each family member and for his caretakers by name. He was generous with his Bingo savings by giving to those he felt were in need. He spoke often of how proud he was of his son Patrick, of what he had accomplished, of what a good Dad he was and of how much he loved his Grandsons Nick and Alex. Bob loved his University of Texas football team, the ‘Horns’ and followed them closely. Bob moved at least 18 times in the sixty-three years he and Alta were married.

Bob completed his Earthly journey Wednesday, March 23, 2017 in Jordan, Montana with Alta by his side. He is on his way to a new phase of life that holds many bigger and better things while working and waiting for his family to join him. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His grandparents, parents and two brothers, Randal Curtis Baugh and Phillip Morris Baugh preceded him in death. He is survived by his companion of 63 years, the love of his life, Alta Mae Janette Hellyer Baugh, his son Robert Patrick Baugh (Michael DeSantis) and his twin grandsons Alexander Robert and Nicholas Peter, as well as by his nieces and nephews and many cousins.

A visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the VFW in Jordan on Friday, March 31, 2017. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 31, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the VFW Hall in Jordan. Interment will follow in the Pioneer Cemetery in Jordan. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Jordan is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.stevensonandsons.com.      Memorials in honor of Bob Baugh, may be sent to the VFW Chapter in Jordan, Montana or the Garfield County Health Center.

Service Schedule

Visitation

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Friday March 31, 2017

VFW Hall

Jordan, Montana 59337

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Funeral Service

11:00 a.m.

Friday March 31, 2017

VFW Hall

Jordan, Montana 59337

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Interment with Full Military Honors

Following Services

Friday March 31, 2017

Pioneer Cemetery

Jordan, Montana 59337

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Luncheon

Following Graveside Service

Friday March 31, 2017

VFW Hall

Jordan , MT

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