Bob Frary

Robert Neal Frary, 90, of Salem, IA, died at his home on Saturday, June 16, 2007. Visitation will be held after 12 noon on Thursday, June 21, 2007, at the Olson - Powell Memorial Chapel, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 22, 2007, at 11:00 a.m. at the Salem Congregational Church with the Rev. Harold Dorsey officiating. Burial will be in the Salem East Cemetery. Memorials have been established to the Salem Fire and Rescue, Salem Congregational Church, and Salem East Cemetery. On-line condolences may be sent to www.olsonpowell.com. Bob was born on August 7, 1916, on the family farm three miles east of Salem, Henry County, IA. He was the second of four children born to Greeley and Florence Bunker Frary. For his primary education he attended the one-room school house (Dorland School) east of Salem and graduated from Salem High School. On April 14, 1940, Bob married Esther Waldmeier. To this union came their six children: Sara, Neal, Martha, John, Tom, and Jim. On April 14, 1990, Bob and Esther celebrated their Golden Anniversary. Esther passed away on September 9, 1998. Bob had a great sense of humor, loved to laugh, and loved to tell stories. In addition to farming, Bob enjoyed hunting, fishing, and sports. He was an avid horse lover and had ridden in both the Salem Old Settler's Parade and the Fort Madison Rodeo Parade. He attended the Ft. Madison Rodeo from 1956-2006. The Frary Farm was awarded the Century Farm Award as it was established in 1865. Bob was honored as one of the twenty people to receive long-time volunteer awards in 1999 at Midwest Old Threshers. He attended the first reunion and had not missed one. He was recently honored for his thirty year service to the Salem East Cemetery. Bob was a member of the Farm Bureau, Salem Congregational Church, and The Henry County Cattleman's Association where he was named Cattleman of the Year in 2000. Survivors include his children: Sara and her husband Mike Miller of New Braunfels, TX; Neal Frary and his wife Sue of Salem, IA; son-in-law Jim Harshbarger of Inman, KS; John Frary and his wife Lisa of Atascadero, CA; Tom Frary and his wife Cindy of Mt. Pleasant, IA; and Jim Frary of Salem, IA. In addition to his children, he is survived by one sister, Betty Graves of Des Moines, IA, and ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Esther; his daughter, Mrs. (Jim) Martha Harshbarger; and two sisters, Dorothy White and Beth Sawyer.