ROBERT W. WIMBLE, 90, passed from this life into the nearer presence of Christ on Sunday, October 22, 2023, at Garnette Gardens in Redwood Falls. A funeral service will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Belview, on Wednesday, November 1, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at church. A second service and interment in Vermont are planned for later in November.  In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church (46 Warner Road, Barre, VT 05641).   Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. 

Robert W. Wimble was born in Burlington, Vermont, on April 13, 1933, to Ralph and Mertie (Whitney) Wimble, who lived in Moretown, Vermont. When he was 12 the family purchased a dairy farm in that town, where he lived until he left to attend a boarding high school (Mount Hermon) in Northfield, Massachusetts. He graduated in 1951. As a young adult he worked with his father on the farm, but also sang in the evenings with a local dance band, the Ambassadors. In 1960 he married Helen Abrahamson who had moved from New York to serve as a rural church worker with several local Methodist congregations.  Two children, Carol and Carl, were born to them. During those years the family was active in the Moretown United Methodist Church. Robert and Helen were frequently asked to sing for weddings, funerals, and community events. Helen passed away in 1990. Robert later became a member of Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Barre, Vermont, and in 1994 he married Rhoda Allen, who also became an active member of that church. For several years they lived on the Wimble farm, then relocated to Duxbury, Vermont. After retiring from farm work, Robert pursued his longtime interests in family and regional history. He and Rhoda attended meetings of the Moretown and Duxbury Historical Societies. Robert was known for the folksy poems he would write to honor friends and neighbors on their birthdays and other special occasions. Robert and Rhoda enjoyed their many car trips to visit family or friends elsewhere in Vermont or New England. In 2021 Robert and Rhoda moved to Minnesota, to be near two of their granddaughters. Robert’s collection of binders containing family photos, articles, vintage postcards, and his genealogical and historical research, moved with them. 

Robert is survived by his daughter Carol Webber (Rev. Jay) of Princeton; son Carl Wimble (Jamie) of Moretown, VT; stepson Pat Notarnicola Jr. (Kathy) of Trumbull, CT, and stepdaughter Lisa Mathis (Chuck) of Coconut Creek, FL; grandchildren: Rev. Paul (Marta) Webber, Sarah (Matthias) Leyrer, Catharine (Rev. Andrew) Soule, and Olivia Wimble; step-granddaughter Eryca Lopez; 14 great-grandchildren; and two step great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his first wife Helen, and his second wife Rhoda who passed away earlier this year.

The family is grateful to CentraCare Redwood Hospice and the Garnette Gardens Memory Care Unit staff for the phenomenal care provided during these past few months to both Robert and Rhoda.