Pengilly - John C. Robarge, 72, died Friday, March 14, 1997 at the University Medical Center Mesabi in Hibbing. Arrangements were with Peterson Funeral Chapel of Coleraine.
Funeral services were held Monday, March 17 at Calvary Baptist Church in Pengilly with Rev. Tobe Bolles officiating. Burial was in Forbes Cemetery.
John was born on July 23, 1924 in Thief River Falls, the son of Victor and Anna Robarge. He attended Northrup Elementary and later Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls. He served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in the Pacific Theater with the US Navy in 1942 during World War II before being honorably discharged in 1946. He lived in Washington state from 1949 to 1963 and resided in Pengilly since 1964. John was a construction electrician and worked from Cape Canaveral, FL to the Aleutian Islands, AK building missle silos to nuclear power plants. He also worked in the states of Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church of Pengilly, VFW Post #8510 of Hibbing, and the Swan Lake Senior Citizens of Pengilly. He enjoyed fishing and collecting antique outboard boat motors and would spend hours talking about either.
He is survived by wife Florenda "Becky" of Pengilly; children Victor (Pam) Robarge of Tacoma, WA, Ralph (Kim) Robarge of Rochester, WA, John (Mary) Robarge of Chehalis, WA, Melanie (Randy) Dalbec of Inver Grove Heights, and Lorrie Becklund of Milwaukee, WI; nine grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; sisters Eva (Julian "Babe") Lendobeja of Thief River Falls, and Dorothy Rambeck of Glenwood; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Robert "Bob" Robarge; and sister Grace Galbraith.