Robert "Bob" Harold Hoover

Robert Harold Hoover “Bob”, age 72, of Albia passed away on May 31, 2024, at his home in rural Albia, Monroe County, Iowa under the care of Care Initiatives Hospice. Bob was born in Monroe County, Iowa on March 24, 1952, the son of Wilbert and Dorothy (Wilkin) Hoover and was raised on the family farm east of Albia. He grew up and attended K-1st grade at the North Castle Country School in rural Monroe County, 2nd-7th grade at Lincoln, and 8th-12th grade at Albia High School graduating with the Class of 1970. After high school, Bob attended Indian Hills Community College where he earned a degree in Farm Mechanics in 1972. While at Indian Hills he made lifelong friends from across the state of Iowa. Bob married Martha Ellen Smith on August 13, 1976, in Lancaster, Missouri. To this union two children were born, Lisa Renae and Joseph Alan. Their family increased in 2005 with the addition of a son-in-law, Mark Shepard, in 2009 with the addition of a daughter-in-law Danielle McLaren and then again with grandchildren, between 2007 and 2014 with John Robert Shepard, Zachary Louis and Madeline Dawn Hoover. Bob and Martha shared 47 years of marriage before his passing. Following college, Bob farmed with his dad, Wilbert, raising corn, soybeans, oats, wheat and hay, along with having a cow calf operation and raising hogs for many years from farrow to finish. In his younger years, Bob did custom combining in the fall and would work part time at Henderson Implement, Inc, the local John Deere dealership, in the winter months assembling new equipment for a few years. After his dad died in 1993, farming became even more of a family affair as Lisa and Joe took on more responsibilities on the farm and in the field and when the kids were in school you could see Martha hauling grain to Roemerman’s in the fall. Bob and Joe continued farming the home place and adding acres to the farm, raising corn, soybeans, oats and hay on their 840 acres and calving around 130 cows each spring. He was very proud of his cow calf herd and the quality of oats that was raised on their farm. Bob enjoyed helping Joe with his small tractor repair and restoration projects in the shop. Bob’s last harvest in the fall of 2023 would mark 50 years running a self-propelled combine, an accomplishment that he was proud of. While in school Bob was active in 4-H and a member of the Albia FFA Chapter, attending the National FFA Convention in Kansas City and working at the FFA test plot. He continued to support the Albia FFA and its test plots and tractor pulls when his children, Lisa and Joe, were in high school. He received the Albia FFA Appreciation Award in 1997 and 2002 and was a National FFA Alumni lifetime member. He was proud of his children’s achievements in the 4-H and FFA programs from projects to offices held, trips taken and volunteer opportunities that they participated in. Bob showed cattle at the Monroe County Fair as a youth and was a beef superintendent at the Monroe County Fair for many years as the scale man and lining up the show from the barns. He was named Monroe County Beef Producer of the Year in 2000 by the Monroe County Cattlemen. He also served on the FmHA board and was a member of the Southern Iowa Vintage Tractor Club. Bob and Martha were inducted into the Monroe County Farm Bureau Ag Hall of Fame in 2019. He is survived by his wife, Martha of Albia; his children, Lisa (Mark) Shepard, and Joe (Danielle) Hoover all of Albia; his grandchildren, John Shepard, Zachary and Madeline Hoover; his sister, Susan Voss of Moravia; a step brother and step sisters; and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilbert and Dorothy; his stepmother, Thelma Hoover; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7, 2024, at the Tharp Funeral Home in Albia, with Bob’s family present throughout to greet family and friends. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the Albia Trinity Church, with Pastor Richard Grimes officiating. Burial will follow services at Service Chapel Cemetery in Albia. A memorial has been established to the Welcome Home Soldier Monument in Albia.

Robert "Bob" Harold Hoover

March 24, 1952 - May 31, 2024