Robert (Bob) L. Layman was born September 7th 1918 to Roy and Lillian Layman of Alma, Michigan. He attended public schools in Alma and was an active member of the high school football and basketball teams. After high school he attended Michigan State University as an engineering major for two years. While still a teenager Bob was a member of the Michigan National Guard Horse Cavalry, then from 1943 through 1945 he served with the Army Air Force during WWII. Bob was an avid fisherman and he loved to hunt. He was a long time member of the Christian Church in Alma then later in Ronan, MT, where he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher.
On February 2nd, 1940, Bob married Shirley M. Layman of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. They had two daughters, Nicholi (Nicky) and Lynette. Bob pursued a career in building construction. He worked his way up to Vice President of Strahan Construction of Riverdale, Michigan, estimating and supervising the construction of many commercial buildings in Michigan, Wyoming, and Colorado. After his daughters were grown and gone from home, Bob and Shirley felt the allure of the West and purchased property near Ronan, Montana. In 1970 they moved to Ronan and built a campground, which they operated for 5 years along with daughter and son-in-law, Nicky and David Edington. After selling the campground in 1976 they built a home on their property in the Mission Mountains. Shortly after their home was built, Bob took a position teaching industrial arts at the Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Mt., where he designed and built the College library and dental hygienist training building.
In 1980 the family tragically lost Nicky to cancer at the age of 37. When their son-in-law remarried, he and his wife Rita continued to be very much a part of the Layman family, blessing Bob and Shirley with two more grandchildren.
After retiring and selling their mountain home in 1993, Bob and Shirley moved to the Helena Mt. area to live near daughter Lynette and her husband Tom Wing on their ranch. Then in 1999 they moved to Creighton, South Dakota along with Lynette and Tom to a new ranch, and yet again, in June 2009 they moved with the Wings to the Belle Fourche area, where Shirley still resides. Bob always enjoyed his life on a cattle ranch. His health gradually failed over the last several years, and when his family could no longer care for him at home, he was moved to the Community Living Center at The VA Medical Center at Fort Meade SD. For the last 3 weeks of his life, he received loving care from the staff there. Bob loved his God, his family and his country and he will be missed.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley from Belle Fourche, daughter, Lynette Wing from Belle Fourche, 9 grand children: Justin Fritz, Rob Edington, Paula Schoenberner, Josh Fritz, Scottie Van Diest, Challise McDermott, Randy Wing, Kit Edington and Shane Edington and 10 great grand children along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Bob was preceded in death by his daughter Nicky Edington, and sisters, Jane Napieralski and Louise Davenport, both of Alma, MI and a sister Leah Freeman of Lawton, OK.
There will be an Honor Guard Ceremony at the Black Hills National Cemetery and a service with Chaplin Ralph Vencill officiating on Friday, December 11th.
A memorial has been established in Bobs honor at the VA Medical Center, Attention: Voluntary Services, 113 Comanche Rd. Fort Meade, SD 57741. (Checks should be made out to the Department of Veterans Affairs)