Obituary: Robert "Bob" Ray Luing

Robert “Bob” Ray Luing, 92, of Mahtowa, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, at Barnes Care in Esko. He was born April 20, 1931, to Virgil and Belle Luing in Worthington, Minnesota. He was raised on the family farm and attended the one-room school, participating in Future Farmers of America and 4-H, graduating in 1948. Bob attended the University of Minnesota agriculture college after graduation.

He married Faith on Dec. 3, 1951. Shortly after, Bob enlisted in the Army. He served in South Korea during the Korean Conflict, shipping over early in March 1953 and working as a radio repairman on the tanks in his division.

Bob and Faith came to northern Minnesota at the invitation of his uncle and got his first job at Studebaker Garage in Cloquet. He started at Northwest Paper, then Potlatch, and was transferred to Brainerd during a department startup for five years. He came back to the Cloquet mill until retiring at age 62 prior to open heart surgery.

Bob was a member of Grace Baptist Church in Cloquet. Prior to that he went to Mahtowa Covenant and Temple Baptist in Brainerd. He donated lumber that helped build the Barnum Community Church.

His hobbies included woodworking with diamond willow, hunting birds and deer, fishing, and gardening.

Preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Vivian (Bob) Shore, Dorothy (Lynn) (Bob) Vanderwerf Shore, Mary (Jack) Alvey, Alfred (Phyllis) Luing, Gary (Judy) Luing; grandchildren, Jonathon Luu, Jackson Tjaden and Amelia Casey.

He will me missed by his loving wife, Faith Elizabeth Luing; children, Phyllis Luing, Philip Hughes-Luing, Mary Elizabeth Luing, Virginia (Brian) Graves, Rachel (Gary) McDonald, Hannah (Thomas) Casey, Basil (Lori) Luing, Joel (Alia) Luing, Titus (Jenny) Luing; many nieces and nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A visitation and service took place on Wednesday at Grace Church. Military honors were accorded by the Cloquet Combined Honor Guard at the church. Burial was at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery Duluth in Saginaw following the luncheon.

To sign the guest book and leave an online tribute, see http://www.atkinsnorthlandfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, send donations to Grace church missions or the local DAV.