Robert (Bob) Kalenda was born in Tripp County, South Dakota, on Feb. 8, 1932, the third child of Joe Kalenda Sr. and Alice (Vrbsky) Kalenda. Bob attended the Vobr School through 8th grade and then stayed at home to help his mom and dad on the family farm.
Bob enlisted in the United States Army on April 14, 1953. He spent most of his enlisted time in Germany as a truck driver in the motor pool that rebuilt and inspected roads across the country. Bob spoke frequently about how beautiful the countryside was and talked about returning someday to visit. However, he could never talk Doris into it, as she had no desire to cross the ocean and always told him that “she hadn’t lost anything there that she wanted to go back to find!” He also told vivid stories of how he, amongst others, taught the “city” boys how to play baseball. He believed that everyone who received the chance to play any sport was “a winner” because so often people never receive the opportunity, and he often relayed that message to his grandchildren Chase and Taylor.
Bob was honorably discharged from the Armed Services on March 24, 1955 and he returned to South Dakota and the family farm.
On April 7, 1964, Bob was united in marriage to Doris Schulte. To this union two daughters were born: Kathy (Ken) Hrabanek and Lori Kalenda. Bob and Doris resided on Doris’s parents’ home place south of Colome. They farmed, milked and raised cattle, along with a hay grinding business that Bob ran with his brother Alvin. Bob continued to have cattle and was proud of his old “mortgage lifters” until the day he passed from this world.
Bob was also very proud of the 57 years he spent employed at the Winner Livestock Auction. It didn’t take much of a mention to make him smile or talk about his many memories or friends he had made over the years that he had spent “chasing those old gummers out in the sorting barn.”
In addition to his farm and his Friday WLA job, Bob also worked as a butcher and a postal clerk and spent many, many years as a bartender at the Thayer Water Legion Post in Colome. One of Bob’s favorite things to do was to put on wild game feeds for the community, as he loved to see people coming together for good food and an even better visit. The next best thing was a good game of pitch or fishing, (with Lori, Chase & Taylor) at a local stock dam or Dog Ear Lake. There was never a pitch hand he wouldn’t bid or a fish too small to keep! And if he hadn’t shared his pitch advice or fishing philosophy with those around him, he more than likely had shared his gift of song or rhyme. Bob had a niche for making up his own lyrics and/or songs, and he wouldn’t think twice about sharing his own renditions of “Pistol Packing Mama” or the “Wabash Cannonball,” and he loved teaching them to his children, grandchildren, or neighbor children.
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