Robert F. “Bob” Ciesiel, 77, a longtime Baker City resident, died Oct. 1, 2005, at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
Bob’s vigil/wake will begin at 5:30 tonight at his residence at 42797 Nye Road. Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Bob was born on Aug. 7, 1928, at Brooklyn, N.Y., to Leo and Viola Lechmanski Ciesielski. He was raised at Brooklyn and Floral Park, N.Y., graduating from Sewanhaka High School.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Oct. 1, 1946. He was honorably discharged on Feb. 25, 1948. Later, he became a commissioned officer in the Air Force ROTC.
He went on to college, graduating from the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque with a bachelor’s degree in geology.
He married Marihelen Williamson on Feb. 24, 1952, at Bernalillo, N.M. He started his working career as a doodlebugger in a seismographic company and then joined the Exploration and Mining Division of the Atomic Energy Commission at Grand Junction, Colo.
He transferred to the Bureau of Land Management as a mining engineer at Portland, and finally transferred to the BLM, Baker District, in Baker City. Throughout his career, he worked in all of the 11 Western states.
Bob was a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and a member of the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. He volunteered at the St. Francis Food Bank, Oregon Trail Regional Museum and the Baker City Food Co-op.
He played “Santa” at the Interpretive Center during the holidays. He enjoyed building things, especially his home, and growing irises, roses, and tomatoes, which many friends benefited from.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Marihelen, of Baker City; a brother, Eugene Ciesiel; his children, Tina Kitchin, Michael Ciesielski, Pamela Hosseini, Amy Ross, Obie Ciesiel, and Emily Ciesielski; grandchildren, David and Michael Beam; Nema, Arman and Sheila Hosseini; Anna and Thomas Ciesielski; Carla Kitchin; Hailey and Jye Ciesiel; and Jordan and Reghan Marchek; great-grandchildren, Brady and Brooklyn Beam and Beckham Beam.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Francis Food Bank through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, October 7, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
