Rev. Robert A. Buckman Obituary (1933

Rev. Robert A. Buckman, age 88, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away Sunday, August 15, 2021 at Wisconsin Rapids Health Services. Services will be at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids. Rev. Kevin Ader will officiate. Burial will be at Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. on Friday at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids and from 10:00 A.M. until the time of service on Saturday at the church. Bob was born June 18, 1933 in Ringle, Wisconsin to Raymond and Helen (Post) Buckman. He attended elementary school in Wausau, but finished high school and did preparation for seminary at Concordia University in Milwaukee. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO in 1960. He served as pastor for three congregations in rural Minnesota before accepting the call in 1961 to become the youth pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids. Pastor Bob retired from Immanuel Lutheran Church as senior pastor in 1996 after 35 years of service to the church. After his retirement from Immanuel, he went on to serve the congregation at St. Paul's Lutheran Church-Seneca Corners until 2014. Pastor Bob oversaw many changes in his years at Immanuel Lutheran. One of his first projects when he became pastor of the church was opening a skating rink at Immanuel Lutheran School. During his tenure as pastor, the church grew in strides, with two major expansions. Pastor Bob was never one to take credit for the growth the church experienced, always seeing himself as a humble preacher of the gospel. While serving as vicar at Immanuel Lutheran in 1956 under Rev. Ernest Kuechle, Bob met Kuechle's daughter, Carol, and they were married at Immanuel on June 17, 1961. They were blessed with 52 years of marriage. Carol passed away on December 10, 2013. Bob was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and shooting with the Cranmoor Skeet Club. He had several beloved hunting dogs over the years and bred German Wirehaired Pointers. Bob's other interests included riding his motorcycles, singing karaoke, and listening to music. He loved his children and grandchildren and supported them however he could. He was the official family photographer, taking photos of their activities, which he would print at home, to share. He loved to roller skate and could be seen roller skating down the expressway in Wisconsin Rapids. He was a great storyteller and had a special way of weaving those stories into the sermons he delivered to the congregations he served. In his later years, he enjoyed dining at area restaurants, going to Rafters baseball games, and attending local concerts, with David. Bob is survived by four children: Linda Baranowski of Green Lake, WI and her children, Kristen and Jon; Thomas (Julie) Buckman of Janesville, WI and their children: Carly and Carson; David Buckman of Wisconsin Rapids, WI; Robert J. (Misty) Buckman of Cambridge, WI and their children: Nicholas, Matthew, Emily, and Benjamin; sister: Sondra (Michael) Kortebein; sisters-in-law: Bernice Buckman, Kathryn Davis, and Luanne Kuechle; nieces and nephews; and many close friends. In addition to his beloved wife, Carol, he is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Helen Buckman; brother, Pastor James Buckman; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Pastor Ernest and Lydia Kuechle; and brothers-in-law, Michael Davis and Donald Kuechle. A memorial will be established in Pastor Bob's name at a later date. Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the family. The family extends a special thank you to the Wisconsin Rapids community, especially the members of Immanuel Lutheran Church for their prayers and outpouring of love and support.