RB, as he has been known all his life, was born on his Grandparents farm in Nebraska.  His mother, who was born on Briar Patch Mountain in Virginia, moved to

Nebraska with her family in 1915. RB was the 3rd of what later became a family of 8 children.

His parents looking for a fresh start, moved to California, stopping at Camp Meeker, located near Guerneville in Northern California. RB still remembers the name of the woman who traveled with them and shared expenses. This was a common practice for that time. The new start didn’t work out for his parents and they eventually separated.

RB’s mom later remarried and the family moved to Covelo, located in Round Valley, which is about 30 miles Northeast of Laytonville.  His stepfather was a carpenter, but this was during the Great Depression and the living was rough.  They had no electricity, and pretty much lived off the land. RB attended Grammar School during the 9 years he lived there.

In 1942 his stepfather got a job at the Italian Swiss Colony Winery as a maintenance man and the family moved to Cloverdale. By this time 4 more children had been added to the family, so he knows all about sharing bedrooms and bathrooms. He graduated from the Cloverdale High School in 1948. He turned 18, and with no interest in going on in school, he experienced a series of short-term jobs when he could get them.

At 19, he and a couple of his buddies decided that they would join the Army.  In 1949 the Army Air Corps was being split off as the Air Force and so they ended up there instead of the Army. Of course they enlisted under the buddy program, and as always seemed to happen, they were immediately split up.

He was trained as an aircraft mechanic and spent 3 years at Edwards Air Force Base down on the Mojave Desert. Because of the Korean Conflict he received the Truman extension, and was scheduled to move to Japan. By the time he was to ship out, he didn’t have enough time remaining so he was pulled from that move and just stayed at Edwards.

It was at this point that he and Marlys were married. After his discharge they returned to Cloverdale. With his training in mechanics, jobs were still hard to come by. A service station came up for sale and with a loan from his new father-in-law, he was in business. He spent the next 40 years in the auto repair and service business; a business that their youngest son is carrying on today.

Over the years he had customers with cars that he found interesting, and when they wanted to sell he would make them an offer. He has ended up with a nice collection of low mileage cars, now kept in a 12 car heated garage next to the house. What makes his collection fun for him is that he knows the history of the cars. He has a ’63 Pontiac Grand Prix that belonged to his 7th grade teacher. A few of the cars he bought brand new.

His introduction to CHVA was when he heard about the Route 66 tour for 2001. He was attending a Buick Club event at the time. Randy Wright advised him to join CHVA if he wanted to do the tour, and so he did with the intention of just doing it for a year and then dropping out. After all they already belonged to the Studebaker Club, the Plymouth Club, and the Buick Club, so they didn’t need another club. Guess what? The Redwood Region of CHVA has been so much fun that it is now tied with the Buick Club for first choice. He points out that if it had not been for the Buick Club he would not have learned about our group. He and Marlys introduced his sister Carol and her husband Frank Clark to Redwood Region, and they are now new members.

RB says that his first car was a 1930 Model A with the side mount spare tire. He bought it for $100, drove it for a couple of years and sold it for $100. When he married Marlys she had a perfect 1934 Chevrolet Deluxe Sedan with tassels on the window curtains. He admits that he had one eye on the car while proposing marriage. In the 1970’s she inherited her Aunt’s one owner and very original 1948 Plymouth Coupe, and this is the car we see most often on our tours.

Older cars in his collection are the 1955 Studebaker, President, which is a car he serviced for a customer and later bought. Then the 1956 Buick Century Convertible, which they bought new and still own. When asked about his favorite he says it is all four of the front row cars. The Plymouth, Studebaker, Buick Convertible and the ’69 Buick Riviera, those are the ones he enjoys driving.

Marlys got her start in North Dakota, but during the depression the family moved to Everett, Washington. She was a senior in High School when her father, over her protests, moved the family to Cloverdale. He was in the timber industry and that was the reason for the move. It was in 1949 that she met RB at a school dance. The rest is history, they have been dancing ever since. Married since 1952, they have raised 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. When the kids were in school, Marlys worked in the timber industry until she retired. They have 6 grandchildren, ranging in age from 10 to 24. Providing a good family life over the years has been their main activity and interest.

Secondarily to their love of family life has been dancing. RB says he has never been to a dance that he didn’t enjoy. They belong to 2 dance clubs and he has been president of one of them for the past 10 years. Ballroom dancing is what they enjoy. Those who have attended our holiday dinner parties, undoubtedly, have enjoyed them tripping the light fantastic.