OBITUARY

 Robert Eugene “Bud” Clodt

Robert Clodt was born on April 15, 1925 to Erich Cris Clodt and Mildred Rosebud Caffee Clodt, in Wessington Springs, South Dakota. He Died Friday, September 24, 2010. He was their first-born and the eldest of nine children.

While attending grade school in Lane, South Dakota, he met his childhood friend, Ralph “Bernie” Burnison, who remained his close friend for almost 80 years.

Bud honorably served in the U.S. Navy from January 4, 1944 until May 14, 1946. He served on the USS Bushnell as a torpedoman’s mate in the Pacific theatre during World War II.

Bud married Mary Ann Eschenbaum on October 5, 1947 in Miller, South Dakota. They had four daughters.

Bud farmed in South Dakota until 1951, when he moved his family to Anaheim, California.

In 1953, he moved his family to Randsburg, California, for one-week, and then on to Inyokern, California, where he started an asphalt paving and construction company known as “Robert E. Clodt Construction.”

In 1978, Bud closed the asphalt plant and business, and moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, to work on pipelines for Smith Construction. This work took him to Seminole, Texas, and then back to Grand Junction until 1986, when he moved to Johannesburg, California. That same year, Bud and Ron Clodt, his brother and best friend, started “R & R Construction.” He moved back to Ridgecrest in 2001. Bud and Ron operated their business until 2004. Never one to be idle, Bud remained active in various endeavors until his death.

Bud’s favorite past-times included restoring antique cars and tractors, farming and gardening, riding horses and gold mining. He was an active sportsman who loved hunting and fishing.

Bud was preceded in death by his parents Erich Cris Clodt and Mildred Rosebud Clodt Hunsaker; two of his sisters, Marlene Mason and Karen Roork-Austin, two brothers-in-law Stanley Mullins and Glenn Hunsaker; and his son-in-law Mike Foraker.

Bud is survived by his brothers and sisters Betty Mullins, Marion Hunsaker, Rich Clodt, Ron Clodt, “Sam”, Donna McLeod, Dennis Clodt; his former wife and friend Mary Ann Clodt of Inyokern, California; his daughters, Patricia Ann Doucette and her husband Wayne of Ridgecrest, California, Marilyn Rae Jett and her husband Ronny of Seminole, Texas, Judith Kay Seeley and her husband Ron of Montrose, Colorado, and Catherine Annette Foraker of Grand Junction, Colorado; his 9 grandchildren Syndi Phillips, Rhonda Faust, Sheri Jett, Brian Price, Misty Kay Harlan, Justin Price, Travis Price, Michael Harlan, Joseph Jett; his 6 great-grandchildren Layne Faust, Nathaniel Price, Jillian Phillips, Gabriel Price, Averie Phillips, and Piper Faust; 51 nieces and nephews; and countless friends. The twinkle in his eye will be missed by all that

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