Bob Roling’s birthday
Robert Eugene “Bob” Roling was born on July 21, 1932, at Woodland Hospital in Moberly, Missouri. His birth record, family record book and Army discharge record agree on the date. The Army record lists Salisbury as his birthplace, though, while the civil birth record names the hospital in Moberly.
Sources: Family-held certified reproduction of Robert’s Missouri birth record, filed July 29, 1932; My Family Record, printed page 11; and his DD214. The typed binder gives July 2, apparently in error. The family book lists Salisbury as his baptism location and leaves the birth-location space blank.
Bob Roling grew up around the Salisbury shop, and by 1967 the next generation was becoming familiar there too. An August advertisement in J.F. Roling & Son’s staff-profile series described Bob as a Salisbury native known to its customers, named his wife as the former Bridget Morrison, and mentioned David and Dan as familiar faces. It offers a glimpse of family life around the business, rather than a formal employment record. [1]
Read about Bob and Dick’s two-day reunion in Italy and see two cards from Bob’s Army years.
Trade training
Earlier newspaper notices place Bob at trade-training events. An April 12, 1963 item reported that Bob Roling, Joe Vitt and Tony Morrison of J.F. Roling & Sons had recently attended a Lennox dealer training school at Columbia. An April 3, 1964 report named the same three men at Green Colonial factory meetings in Des Moines the previous week. The program introduced a furnace and included service training on heating and central air conditioning. The 1964 notice did not identify their local employer or say that they earned a certification. [2, 3]
A greater focus on farm implements
On October 10, 1974, the newspaper reported Bob’s decision to discontinue the firm’s plumbing and heating work so he could devote more space and time to the John Deere dealership. Tony Morrison was to take over plumbing, heating and air-conditioning work. In a separate signed notice, Bob said Tony had worked for him for 22 years and thanked customers for their past business. These sources document an announced operational change, not the terms or completion of a legal sale. [4, 5]
Credit to the staff
A September 2, 1976 feature identified Bob as owner and in sales, and credited loyal employees with much of the firm’s longevity. It reported more than 113 combined years with the business among the staff. The February 17, 1977 feature again emphasized the employees, called Bob owner and manager, and described the remodeled building and the sale and service of farm equipment. The two features are separate accounts, even though they reproduce the same photographic views. [6, 7]
Memories of Bob Roling
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Sources
[1] J.F. Roling & Son, “Meet The Staff” (Bob Roling advertisement), Salisbury Press-Spectator, August 4, 1967, p. 9. Date and page are shown in the newspaper viewer in the family-held screenshot; no exact original-page URL is established.
[2] “At Training School,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 12, 1963, p. 7. Date and page are shown in the newspaper viewer in the family-held screenshot; no exact original-page URL is established.
[3] “Attended Meeting At Green Colonial Plant,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 3, 1964, p. 5. Original newspaper page.
[4] “Rolings Quit Plumbing And Heating Business,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, October 10, 1974, p. 1. Original newspaper page.
[5] Bob Roling / J.F. Roling & Son, “NOTICE” (signed advertisement), Salisbury Press-Spectator, October 10, 1974, p. 4. Original newspaper page.
[6] “Rolings provide service with purchase of new John Deere equipment,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, September 2, 1976, p. 4. The full newspaper page matches the family-held clipping preserved as IMG_0426.jpeg. Original newspaper page.
[7] “Roling owner attributes success to loyal employees,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 17, 1977, p. 23. The supplied newspaper export identifies the issue and page. Original newspaper page.
The photograph dates remain unknown. The 1967 date identifies the advertisement, not the portrait sitting. The 1976 and 1977 publication dates do not establish when their shared staff, early-shop and remodeled-building photographs were taken.