Robert "Bob "Munn

Bob died peacefully Jan. 25, 2009, here in Traverse City, at the age of 86. He was born Dec. 1, 1922, in Dequincy, La., to Opal and Henry Munn.

Bob was the product of a very colorful beginning and subsequently a very colorful life. Opal was only 14-years-old when she conceived Bob; Henry was eighteen. Texas law prohibited marriage at her age so Louisiana is where they found a legal unity.

The marriage didn't last long and Bob was placed with Henry's mother in Temple, Texas, until both Opal and Henry could settle in separate areas. Bob's early years with his grandmother were a struggle as they existed in a very small home with dirt floors. Bob said he never remembers missing a meal, mainly beans and corn bread, and never knew any better.

Once Bob reached school age he began living between Henry, who settled in Amarillo working for the Santa Fe railroad, and Opal, who drifted form one small oil field boom town to another in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico with her husband and oil driller, Russ Williams.

The depression had begun and Bob worked his paper route in Amarillo and rough necked on the drilling rigs to help make ends meet. The money he did save was for a Model A Ford, but his father forbad him to buy one insisting he use the money to attend college. Bob said he hated him for that until years after, realizing what a favor his dad did for him.

Bob attended his beloved Texas A and M, a military college at that time, graduating a second lieutenant just before Word War II. He entered the Army Air Corps flying B25 light bombers.

After the war he met and married Betty Jo Zepeda of San Antonio, Texas. They moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where Bob found work with J and L Oilfield Supply. Soon after he hired on with the Rockwell Company and they moved to Houston, where his daughter, Cindy was born. They then moved to Pittsburg and Calgary, Canada.

It was the early 1950s and the desire to be an entrepreneur was too much to resist, so off to Denver, Colo., they moved and Bob became a wildcatter looking for oil and gas. It was during this period his son, Jimmie was born.

Within four years Bob and the family were off to West Texas to join forces with Opal's husband and Bob's mentor, Russ Williams. Russ and Bob became involved in various additional developments as Midland and Odessa, Texas, flourished. They started a specialized oilfield service business in 1959 that still exists today.

Bob and Russ are attributed to be the first in the county to build mini storage properties. They started in 1960 and developed the storage properties throughout Texas.

In 1973 the Shell Oil Company, whose mid continent division offices were located in Midland, offered Bob the opportunity to expand his oilfield service company to Northern Michigan for a five-year exploration program. This opportunity has lasted until Bob's passing and continues to operate in Michigan and the Northeast U.S.A. as Double Check Services.

While in Michigan, Bob met and married Carol Ann Knight. Carol owned and operated the beautiful Beach Haus Resort located on East Bay. They both enjoyed several years of fun and good life together.

Bob will always be known as a fair and generous man who held himself to the highest ethics. Bob's motto was "Never give up and never ask for anything you don't work for."

He casts a great shadow that I, as his son, hope to always aspire toward. I could never have asked for a better dad. He will be missed by many and never forgotten.

Bob is survived by his daughter, Cindy (John) Owens of Lubbock, Texas; son, Jimmie Munn of Traverse City; stepmother, Helen Munn, 103-years-old of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; brother, Ronnie Munn of Tucson, Ariz.; stepdaughter, Laura (Jeff) Cobb of Traverse City; and four grandchildren, Elijah, Arianna, Leighann and Joey.

If anyone wishes to contribute in Bob's name, he favored the Salvation Army, which helped Bob and his grandmother during very difficult times.