Robert L. Dauber

Bob​ ​Dauber​ ​loved​ ​to​ ​tell ​​stories.​ ​Most​ ​of​ ​those​ ​tales​ ​revolved​ ​around​ ​the​ ​great​ ​loves​ ​of​ ​his life—his ​ beloved​ ​ wife​ ​ and​​ ​family,​ ​his​ ​drugstore, ​​and ​​his​ ​lifelong​ ​hometown​ ​Mascoutah,​ ​Illinois. Bob ​ didn’t​ ​ like​ ​ to​ ​ brag​​ about​ ​ himself​​ and​ ​ specifically​​ ​asked​ ​that​ ​his ​ obituary​ ​ not​ ​ be​ ​ a​ ​ list​ ​ of​ ​​his many ​ affiliations​ ​ and​ ​ accomplishments,​ ​ so​​ ​instead ​​what​ ​follows​ ​is​ the​​ story​​ ​of​ ​Bob’s​ life​​ ​as​ he​ might ​ tell​ ​ it​ ​ to​ ​​you.

From​ ​the​ ​time ​ Bob​ ​ was​ ​ a​ ​​boy,​ he​ ​ ​was ​ a​ ​ bit​ ​ of​ ​ a​ ​ hell-raiser.​ ​ Whether​​ it​ ​ was​ ​ taking​ ​ the​​ dare​ ​ to​ swim​ ​with​ the​ ​ mythical​ ​ alligators​ ​ in​​ Mascoutah’s​ ​ ​“Hog​ River”​ ​​as ​​a​ ​first ​ grader​ ​ or​ ​​being reprimanded ​ for​ ​ his​ ​ loud​ ​ cowbell​ ​ ​at ​ Mascoutah​​ High​ ​ School​ ​ football​ ​ ​games​ as​​ ​an​ adult,​ ​​Bob was​ ​never​ ​afraid ​​of​ ​a​ ​little​ ​good-natured ​ fun.​ ​ ​He​ loved​ ​ cowboy​ ​ boots​ ​ and​ ​ the​ ​ Mascoutah​ Indians. ​ He​ ​ even​ ​ painted​ ​the​​ sidewalk​ ​ ​in​ front​ ​​of​ ​Dauber​ ​Pharmacy​ ​Mascoutah ​​purple.​   ​Go Indians!

Bob​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​first​ ​freshman​ ​at​ ​Mascoutah​ High​​ ​School ​ to​​ ​earn​ ​a​ ​varsity​ ​letter​ ​in basketball, ​ but​ ​ Bob’s​ ​ love​ ​ of​ ​ too​ ​​much ​ ​fun ​ led​ ​ ​his ​ parents​​ to​​ send​ ​ him​ ​ to​ ​ finish​​ ​high ​ school​ ​ at​ Western ​ Military​ ​ Academy.​ ​ Military​ ​ school​ ​ tamed​​ Bob​ ​ ​just ​ enough​ ​ that​ ​ he​ ​ went​ ​ ​on ​ to​ ​ study​​ at​ Westminster​ ​College​ ​where​ ​he​ ​joined​ ​The​ ​Delta​ Tau​ ​ Delta​ ​ Fraternity.​ ​ During​ ​ ​the​ ​Korean Conflict, ​ he​ ​ enlisted​ ​ in​ ​​the ​ Army​ ​ ​and ​ was​ ​​able​ to​ ​ ​travel ​ through​ ​ ​much ​ of​ ​ Europe.​ ​ While​ ​​in Venice, ​ Bob​ ​ took​ ​ a​ ​ solo​ ​ gondola​ ​​ride ​ ​singing ​ at​ ​ ​the ​ top​​ of​​ his​ ​ lungs,​ ​ probably​ ​ after​ ​ a​ ​ night​​ ​of drinking. ​ (​ His ​ wife​ ​ says​ ​ he​​ ​couldn’t​ ​carry​ ​a​ ​tune.)​ ​During​ ​his​ ​time​ ​in​ ​the​ Army,​​ ​Bob​ ​also​ ​coached the ​ Army​ ​ basketball​ ​ team.​ ​ ​One​ ​of ​ his​ ​ players​ ​ would​ ​ later​ ​ go​ ​ on​ ​ to​ ​ fame​ ​ as​ ​ ​Meadowlark ​ Lemon​ of​ ​The​ ​Harlem​ ​Globetrotters.​ ​Bob​ often​ ​ told​ ​ his​ ​ children​​ he​ ​ taught​ ​ Meadowlark​ ​ all​ ​ his​ ​ best​ moves.​   ​Meadowlark​ ​Lemon’s​ ​family ​ probably​​ tells​ ​ a​ ​ different​ ​ story.​

Bob​ ​eventually​ ​earned​ ​degrees​ ​from​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Missouri​ ​and​ ​St.​ ​Louis​ ​College ​​of Pharmacy, ​ and​ ​ took​ ​ over​ ​ as​ ​ the​​ ​4 ^th ​​ ^​ ​generation ​ owner​ ​ of​ ​ Dauber​​ Pharmacy,​ ​ which​ ​ was​​ ​founded in​ ​Mascoutah​ ​in​ ​1853.​   ​The​ ​pharmacy ​ was​ ​ always​ ​ like​ ​ home​ ​ to​ ​ Bob.​ ​ His​ ​ family​ ​ lived​ ​ above​ the ​ store​ ​ during​ ​ ​his​ ​childhood,​ and​​ as​​ an​ ​ adult​ ​​his ​ employees​ ​ also​ ​ became​ ​​like ​ family--​ ​ even​ spending ​ Christmases​ ​ together​ ​ for​ ​ many​ ​ years.​ ​ Bob​ ​ treated​ ​ his​ ​ customers​​ like​ ​ family,​ ​ too,​ opening​ ​his​ ​drugstore​ ​at​ ​all​ ​hours​ ​of​ ​the​ ​night​ ​and​ ​on​ ​holidays​ ​to​ ​get​ ​medicine​ ​for​ ​people​ ​in need. ​ He​ ​ would​ ​​tell ​ his​ ​ children​​ “helping​ ​ ​people​ ​is ​​my​ job​​ ​and​ ​that’s​ ​what​ ​good​ ​neighbors ​​do.”

Bob​ ​was​ ​always​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​of​ ​a​ ​ladies’​ ​man​ ​until​ ​he​ ​met​ ​his​ ​wife,​ ​Dolores,​ ​who​ ​quickly​ ​swept ​ him​ ​ off​ his​ ​feet.​ ​Dolores​ ​had​ ​a​ ​long-term​ ​boyfriend​ ​when​ ​they​ ​met,​ ​but​ ​she​ ​quickly​ ​broke​ ​if ​ off​ ​ and​ ​she​ and​ ​Bob​ ​married​ ​nine​ ​months​ ​later.​   ​Bob​ always​ ​ said​ ​​HE​ ​was​ ​the​ ​“lucky​ ​one”​ ​and​ ​he​ ​told everyone​ ​that​ ​the​ ​secret​ ​to​ ​their​ ​almost​ ​60-year​ ​marriage ​ was​ ​ him​ ​ realizing​​ ​from ​​the​ ​start ​​that Dolores ​ was​ ​ “The​ ​ Boss.”​ ​ Bob​ ​ and​​ Dolores​ ​ ​stayed ​ busy​ ​ raising​ ​ five​ ​ children,​ ​ ​but ​ found​ ​ time​​ to​ travel​ ​extensively ​ and​​ ​dance​ ​a​ ​mean​ ​jitterbug.​ ​One ​of​​ ​Bob’s​ ​greatest​ ​joys​ ​was​ seeing​​ ​his children,​ ​grandchildren,​ ​great​ ​grandchildren​ ​and​ ​many​ ​friends​ ​swim​ ​in​ ​the​ ​family​ ​pool.​ ​It’s something ​ that​ ​ still​ ​ happens​ ​ regularly​ ​ to​ ​ ​this​ ​day.

Bob​ ​cared​ ​deeply​ ​about​ ​education​ ​and​ ​served​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Mascoutah​ ​School​ ​Board ​ for​ ​ 18​ ​ years.​ He ​ ran​ ​ for​ ​ the​ ​​school ​ ​board​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​football,​ ​art​ ​and​ ​higher​ ​salaries​ ​for​ teachers.​ ​   ​All ​​of these​ ​goals​ ​were​ ​accomplished.

Bob​ ​suffered​ ​bravely ​ with​ ​ Crohn’s​ ​ ​disease ​​since ​ the​ ​ 1970​ s, ​ but​ ​ ​his ​ condition​ ​ has​​ been​ especially​ ​tough​ ​the​ ​past​ ​few ​​years. ​ His​ ​ family​ ​ wants​ ​ ​to ​ ​thank ​ the​ ​ many​ ​ doctors,​ ​ nurses,​ ​ aides,​ and​ ​pharmacists ​ who​ ​ took​ ​ great​ ​ care​ ​ ​of ​ him.​​ Special​ ​ thanks​ ​ to​ ​ the​ ​ staff​ ​ of​ ​ Terrace​ ​ ​On ​ The​ Park,​ ​Celtic​ Home​ ​ ​Health, ​​Carelink​ ​of​ ​Metro ​East,​​ ​Keith​ ​Harris,​ ​and​ ​Family​ ​Hospice.

Bob​ ​was​ ​preceded​ ​in​ ​death​ ​by​ ​his​ ​father​ ​and​ ​mother​ ​Curt​ ​and​ ​Anne​ ​Felter​ ​Dauber​ and​ ​ his​ sister​ ​Jean​ ​(Bob)​ ​Lillie.​   ​The​ ​weekend​ ​of​ ​his​ ​death,​ ​Bob​ ​was​ ​surrounded​ ​by​ ​his​ wife,​ ​ Dolores​ Watkins​ ​Dauber,​ ​children ​ Amy​ ​ (​ Steve) ​ Novario​ ​ of​ ​ Ottawa,​ ​ ​IL, ​ Ellen​ ​ ​Dauber ​ of​ ​ Belleville,​​ Rob (Jase​ ​Woodruff)​ ​Dauber​ ​of​ ​New ​ ​York, ​ NY,​ ​ C.J.​ ​ Dauber​ ​ and​ ​ David​ ​ (​ Shannon) ​ ​Dauber ​ of​ Mascoutah, ​ IL,​ ​ and​ ​ many​ ​of​​ ​his​ ​grandchildren--​ Maggie​ ​ Novario,​ ​ ​Lucy ​ Novario,​ ​ Charlie​ ​ Novario,​ Sam​ ​Novario,​ ​Annie​ ​Dauber,​ ​Brendan​ ​Dauber,​ ​Alex​ Dauber,​ ​ ​Cecilia​ ​Dauber—and​ ​his ​​great grandchildren ​ Leo,​ ​ Gus,​ ​ Louis​ ​ and​ ​ ​Eddie. ​ He​ ​ is​ ​ also​​ survived​ ​ by​ ​ many​ ​ nieces​ ​ and​ ​​nephews.

Since​ ​Bob​ ​retired​ ​in​ ​2011,​ ​the​ ​Foundation​ ​for​ ​Mascoutah​ ​Schools​ ​has​ ​annually ​​awarded ​ the​ Bob ​​Dauber​ ​Scholarship​ ​to​ ​a​ ​graduating​ ​senior.​   ​If​ ​you​ ​wish ​ to​ ​ make​ ​ a​ ​ donation​ ​ ​in ​ Bob’s​​ ​honor, his ​ family​ ​ ​suggests​ ​giving​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Foundation​ ​for​ ​Mascoutah​ ​Schools, ​ attn:​ ​ Bob​ ​ Dauber Scholarship​ ​Fund,​ ​414​ ​Jackson​ ​Street,​ ​Mascoutah,​ ​Illinois​ ​62258,​ ​the ​ Mascoutah​ ​ Food​ ​ Pantry,​ 17 ​ West​ ​ Main​ ​ Street,​ ​ Mascoutah,​ ​ Illinois​ ​ 62258​ , ​ or​ ​​a​ ​charity​ ​of​ your​​ ​choice.

Bob​ ​didn’t​ ​want​ ​a​ ​visitation​ ​or​ ​a​ ​funeral.​   ​Instead,​ ​he​ ​wanted​ ​a​ ​casual ​​get-together​ ​where​ ​his family ​ and​​ ​friends​ ​could​ ​gather​ ​to​ ​celebrate​ ​his​ ​life.​ He​ ​​asked​ ​for​ ​brats,​ ​beer ​and​​ ​lots ​​of​ ​purple in ​ honor​ ​ of​​ ​the​ ​Mascoutah ​ Indians.​​ So,​ ​ the​​ ​Dauber ​ family​​ will​ ​ be​ ​ hosting​ ​​a​ ​celebration​ of​ ​ Bob​ Dauber’s ​ life​ ​ on​ ​ November​ ​ 11​ ,​ 2017​ ​ from​ ​ 3​ ​ pm​ ​ to​ ​ 7​ ​ pm​ ​ at​​ ​the ​ ​American ​ Legion​ ​ ​Post​ ​292 ​ ​at 1414​ ​West​ ​Main​ ​Street,​ ​Mascoutah,​ ​Illinois. Please​ ​stop​ ​by​ and,​ ​ if​ ​ you​ ​ can,​ ​ wear​ ​ ​Mascoutah purple​ ​and​ ​a​ ​big​ ​smile.​ ​Bring​ ​some​ ​good​ ​stories​ ​--​ ​and​ don’t​​ ​forget​ ​your​ ​cowbell.

And...as​ Bob​​ ​always​ ​said​ ​to​ ​his​ ​kids​ ​and​ ​grandkids…let’s​ ​“make​ ​it​ ​good.”