ROBERT NORMAN GOLDEN
July 4, 1928 –
February 17, 2015
Bob Golden moved from this life to the next peacefully at his home in Oakdale on Tuesday afternoon, February 17, 2015 at the age of 86.
Born in Utica, New York to Leroy and Ida Golden, on July 4, 1928, Bob’s birthday was easy to remember and was regularly celebrated with barbecues and fireworks.  His family moved to Grand Bay, Alabama when Bob was 16 and he took the Greyhound bus to Moss Point, Mississippi to attend high school.  He spent his life in the agriculture industry, first buying and selling pecans, and then moving into agricultural equipment sales, specifically harvesting equipment for tree crops and later John Deere tractors.  His life as a pecan salesman was briefly interrupted to serve his country in the Army in Korea in 1951 and 1952.  On February 22, 1958 in Phoenix, he met a woman who was to put an end to his years as a single traveling salesman, and he married Marylin Walters on October 18, 1958.  Their honeymoon lasted for well over a year as they travelled over almost every back road in the southern US while Bob inspected pecan crops. Bob was one who always preferred to talk about others rather than himself.  He was very keen to know others’ stories and to hear what his friends had been up to.  He and his wife had many wonderful travels around the US and Canada by car, plane and train.  Bob was a member of Escalon Presbyterian Church, where he was both a member of Session and a Trustee.  He was active as a greeter at the church and was very supportive of the music program and of the church’s pastor, Troy Onsager.  He was a volunteer driver for the American Cancer Society and he enjoyed spending time on the ranch, doing odd jobs and being outdoors. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Marylin, his son Dan, his daughter and son-in-law, Taffy and Skip Stansbury, and his granddaughter, Shelby Stansbury.
A Memorial Service was held at Escalon Presbyterian Church on February 21.  Remembrances may be made to the Escalon Presbyterian Church Building Fund.  Interment will be at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella, CA.
The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader
March 4, 2015