Obituary of Robert H. Fritzler

Robert Herman Fritzler was born in Shattuck, Oklahoma on July 18th, 1941 to Herman Fritzler and Elizabeth Fiel Fritzler. He was joined by sister Winnie in 1943 and brother Joe in 1949. He spent his first 4 years of school at Fort Supply, Oklahoma. After Herman and Liz bought a farm in Flagler Colorado the family moved there in 1951. He was a member of Willing Workers 4-H Club for several years with projects in beef fattening, beef breeding, and for his electric project he built the family's 1st electric ice cream freezer. He built a stand, added an ice cream freezer, attached a small electric motor and pulley to turn the freezer. His grain marketing project won a trip to Chicago to tour the Board of Trade along with other 4-H members. He made that trip even though his foot was in a cast and on crutches from a severely sprained ankle suffered during a basketball game. After graduating from Flagler High School in 1959 he and friend Gib Reynolds joined the US Navy, serving 4 years. The last 2 years he was stationed in Hawaii aboard the USS Ute. After being discharged in 1963 he moved to Denver and worked for the Coca-Cola bottling company. While there he met Nancy Gaasch. Nancy got her first taste of Flagler when they attended the 25th anniversary celebration for Herman and Liz. Bob and Nancy were married on November 14th, 1965. Next he got a job at the Nabisco Cookie Company in Denver and then M and M Mars Company as a Sales Representative. They were blessed with 3 children during their time in Denver: Sheri Elaine in 1967, Terri Lynn in 1968, and Robert Herman in 1970. Wanting to raise the children in a smaller town, they left Denver and settled back in Flagler where he was employed with the Soil Conservation. An opportunity arose to manage a 600 sow hog operation in Scott City Kansas, and the family made the move. While living there he became a Christian and started following the Lord. After 2 years they moved back to Flagler and he helped his former Navy buddy Gib Reynolds with a candy route called High Plains Sales. He eventually bought the route from Gib, expanded it, and renamed it High Plains Wholesale. Many hours were spent going all around eastern Colorado from Colby to Calhan taking orders and then filling those orders into the late evenings and making the deliveries. In 1976 he started a grocery store in town called Flagler Discount Foods which was in business for many years. An opportunity to get into farming arose and he decided to work both the grocery store and farm for a while. Farming became more of his passion and he was able to work more and more land. The family moved to the John Ehmann farm 5 miles north of town Thanksgiving 1980. Along with the farming, he built up his own hog operation, had a holstein feedlot, and had a bred cow herd. Shortly afterward they sold the grocery store and farmed full time. He acquired more equipment and farmed for Neal Dorsch until he had an opportunity to buy his own land south of Flagler on which he had a new house built in the fall of 2003. They had a house built on that land and moved there in Dec 2003. He planted nearly 2,000 trees on the property, creating a wildlife habitat. The past 17 years have been spent on that property. He enjoyed the beauty of the sunsets and always said, "Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses!" His success in the candy route, the grocery store, and in farming showcased his gifts as a true entrepreneur and visionary. And he always said, "I give God all the glory!" He passed away peacefully on March 4, 2020 at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver at the age of 78. He is survived by his loving wife Nancy of 54 years, daughter Sheri (Guy) Arnold of Mitchell, South Dakota, daughter Terri McNair of Aurora, and son Robert Jr. of Lakewood, Colorado, 10 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Herman and Elizabeth Fritzler. A viewing will be held for family and friends at Love Funeral Home in Limon, Colorado on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 from 4 pm to 7 pm. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 11 am at the Flagler Congregational Church with Rev. Bob Strauch officiating. Following the service, he will be laid to rest at the Flagler Cemetery with full military honors. A reception and lunch will be held at the Flagler Congregational Church for family and friends after the graveside ceremonies.