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Robert J. SitlerNew: June 13, 2025. |
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Robert J. SitlerNew: June 13, 2025. |
Robert J. Sitler was born in Bridgeport, Morrill County, Nebraska to Bert Leroy Sitler and Johanna "Hanna" Marie Meyer. He grew up in Nebraska before entering the service. Robert served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II from August 11, 1942 through December 15, 1945 as a corporal. Robert married Juanita Edith Gomer (11/21/1920-3/21/2001) in 1946.
Bob passed away on March 13 1995 in his home suffering from chronic hepatitis. At the time of his passing he was believed to be the longest elected official in Colorado having served on the Petersburg School Board from 1948 through 1962 and subsequently on the Sheridan School District No. 2 board from 1963 through 1994. He served as the board President for 16 years beginning in 1964.
The "new" Sheridan High School was built in 1972
while he was board president. He served a total of 46 years on
the Petersburg and Sheridan School Boards. Bob helped with the
consolidation of Petersburg along with the Fort Logan and College
View elementary school districts into Sheridan School District
#2 in the fall of 1962. He was just 27 years old when he first
ran for the Petersburg School Board.
On
June 29, 1965 Bob was elected to the first Board of Trustees for
Arapahoe Junior College in Littleton for six years. The junior
college was created in an election held earlier that year. "The
first board had to include at least one member from Sheridan,
which, with Littleton, comprised the district for Arapahoe Junior
College." He was subsequently appointed for a two-year term
by Governor John Love when Arapahoe became a community college.
In an interview in 1994 Bob stated his highlights as a member of the board of education, "was the change from mediocrity to teaching the kids to have a better life after school. That is why I sat on the board of ACC - so the kids could get a good education.. There were a lot of good two-year programs that will allow them to get training and a get a job. There's no use going to college if there's no job there, and it doesn't make sense to train anyone for anything that is obsolete." Second is that we were able to hire Ken Reiter as Superintendent, in my opinion, we have the best superintendent in the whole metro area. He has visions that others never had."
Steven Fast, then president of the board said that "He gave me my diploma and now working with him on the school board, is quite an opportunity - it's like working with a famous historical figure." On October 10, 1995, the school board officially named the circle driveway in front of Sheridan High School as "Sitler Circle."
In the town and city of Sheridan he served as a volunteer fire fighter from 1954 through 1974. Five years as the Sheridan Police Magistrate from 1949 through 1954. He was elected to the town council in 1950. Bob chaired a group "Save Sheridan Committee" in 1962 to oppose Denver efforts to annex Sheridan. In 1965 Bob served on the Red Cross Disaster Unit advisory committee for relief operations after the June 16, 1965 Platte River flood. Bob worked as an industrial engineer and foreman for Goodwill Industries for over three decades.
Bob and Juanita were honored as Grand Marshals for the Sheridan Centennial Celebration in 1990 and were noted as being the longest residents of Sheridan at the time. Bob was an original member of the Board of Trustees of the Sheridan Historical Society from 1991 through 1993. He was also a member and chairman of the earlier "Sheridan Historical Association" in the 1950s. That association published "The History of Sheridan" in 1957.
Mr. Sitler is buried at Ft. Logan National Cemetery. Robert's
wife Juanita passed away in 2001. His children are Stephen Leroy
Sitler (deceased)., Golda J. Posey, and Dan R Sitler (wife Renee).
Bob also had two older stepchildren, which he adopted Virginia
Causey (deceased) and David Sitler.
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