Robert Allen Culbertson was born in 1950 to Albert and Millie Culbertson. He was the seventh child of eight children, and grew up in Lanesboro, Minn. He was active in sports, especially baseball and football. In high school, he lettered in basketball, track, football, and baseball for all four years. He attended Rochester Community College for two years on a football scholarship.
He was also an accomplished boxer with the Golden Gloves organization, eventually becoming the upper midwest heavyweight champion. He went to the Olympic tryouts for boxing in Arlington, Tex., in 1972. In that same year, he married his first wife, Nancy, and had two sons, Adam and Jared.
Robert went on to work for the MN Department of Corrections at Oak Park Heights, and later at the Red Wing facility. He met Kathy in 1995 and they were married in 1996 at their farm in Star Prairie, Wis. In 1997, they moved to Lanesboro after purchasing a historic home, which eventually became the Thompson House Bed & Breakfast. They ran a successful business there for 18 years. They also owned the Hawaiian Shaved Ice stand, which was probably his favorite job. Rewards for games well played, end of school year celebrations, trivia quizzes for the kids and Halloween treats were all part of it.
After retiring from these businesses, they moved to their house in Whalan and focused on their grandchildren and relaxing.
In 2018, they moved to Columbus, Minn., to be closer to the youngest grandkids and help with their care. This brought Robert great joy.
He passed peacefully at his home, on November 16, 2022, with his wife Kathy by his side.
Left to keep his memory alive and love him forever are his wife Kathy, their children Christi Tosarello and grandson Jacob, Adam Culbertson, wife Kelly and granddaughter Julia; Nicolle Amiel and grandson Matthias, Jared Culbertson, wife Shelista and granddaughter Avery; Patrick Maternowski and Lindsay Danielsen, and granddaughters Natalia and Scarlett and grandson Finn, and Jimmy Connolly.
Also survived by his his sisters and their families, and many special friends from Lanesboro, the Harmony-Canton Amish community and the Twin Cities area.
He was predeceased by his parents, two brothers, two sisters, a nephew and his son Sean.
Service will be on December 3, 2022, at 1 p.m., with a visitation one hour before service. Service will be at Forest Lake Christian Church, 420 W. Broadway Ave, Forest Lake, Minn.
Jeff St. Mane says
I have been friends with Butch since grade school. Butch was Robert’s nickname in school and most people from Lanesboro and that area knew him that way. We fished, rode bikes, worked on farms basically the same thing a lot of kids of our era did. Butch was an all round athlete, I was his team mate on the track team, and on the Lanesboro/Chatfield boxing team. We did so much together growing up and as we got older we visited when we could and talked on the phone when we couldn’t. He was such, a good friend to me and countless others. He had a wonderful sense of humor, always had smile when met which quite often was accompanied by a joke or funny saying. Butch will be missed by me and many others.
Judy Schumack says
I am so sorry to hear this. He taught me how to drive a stick at the age of 16. I had the pleasure to see him box many times. He was just the best friend ever, Hugs to you and your family..