Leonard Ray Robotham was born Dec. 8, 1924, at home in rural Seward County, to Harry and Etta (Brown) Robotham and passed away Dec. 10, 2022, in Seward, at the age of 98 years and 2 days.
Leonard grew up on the family farm near Malcolm, where he attended country school and graduated from Malcolm High School with the Class of 1942. He was a member of the Malcolm’s first basketball team to make it to the state tournament. Shortly after graduation, he worked at Western Electric. He met his future wife, Phyllis Masker, when he accompanied a friend on a blind date to provide moral support. They were united in marriage July 3, 1947, at his parents’ home in rural Seward County. To this union, five children were born. He bought his first can milk route a few years after they were married. He became the first bulk milk hauler in Nebraska in 1952 and continued hauling bulk milk until May of 1977. The couple bought a farm in 1959, a couple of years later, he started his own dairy farm. Leonard retired from farming in 1989. In his retirement, Leonard worked for a courier service delivering paperwork for different banks in Northeast Nebraska. He later worked for Seward County driving a gravel truck.
Every summer, the family went camping in South Dakota and spent a lot of time fishing with his wife’s family. Leonard liked going on fishing trips and Las Vegas trips with his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Larry and Marlene Masker and Don and Dolores Masker. They also attended several Nebraska bowl games with Clarence and Irene Heidtbrink. There were many other travel destinations, including Florida, Texas and Canada. Leonard was a lifelong member of the Malcolm United Methodist Church and was on the Malcolm Fire Department from 1950 to 2015.
Leonard was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Phyllis; grandson, John Kildare; siblings, Donald Robotham, Frank (Joanna) Robotham, Plin Robotham, Earl (Dorothy) Robotham, Harriet (James) Booher; cousin, Marjorie Rudolf; nephews, William, Robert and Gary Robotham; two brothers-in-law, Bernard and Don Masker; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Carole and John Duffield.
Survivors cherishing his memory include his five children, Evaline Robotham, Pleasant Dale, Raymond Robotham and wife, Cherylynn, Pleasant Dale, Mary Robotham, Omaha, Gene Robotham and wife, Kathy, Pleasant Dale, and Bruce Robotham, Pleasant Dale; eight grandchildren, Jennifer Hoffman and husband, Buzz, Tracy Robotham, Michael Robotham, DeEtta Bumgardner and husband, Troy, Jade Roth and husband, Dan, Hillary Kildare (wife of John), Mark Robotham and wife, Laura, Scott Robotham and wife, Jessica; 19 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
The funeral service was Dec. 17 at Malcolm United Methodist Church with interment at the Seward Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to the church. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.zabkafuneralhome.com.
