Obituary of Robert James O'Bryan

Robert (Butch) James O’Bryan of Cambridge Minnesota, died peacefully at home in his sleep, on Sunday, June 26, 2016, at the age of 78. He was born on November 19, 1937 to Robert Abel O’Bryan and Lucille Helen McLane-O’Bryan in St. Paul, Minnesota and baptized at Guardian Angels Church at Oakdale, MN on December 26, 1937. He was raised in the Stillwater / Bayport area, along with sisters Elaine, Marge and Judy and attended Stillwater High School. On September 10, 1961, Robert married Karen Grace Bodfors from Cambridge, Minnesota and remained in Cambridge to raise their family. Robert was self-employed, selling and installing floor covering for over 30 years. He was so busy working for Furniture Studios of Cambridge, Kustom Kitchen and Karpet of Wyoming, Wick Homes, Brunswick Homes, Central Carpet in Blaine and a carpet shop in Lindstrom. Robert was involved with the National Guard in Stillwater. He loved to deer hunt, fish with his kids – both winter and summer, swim in their pool, horseback ride with his kids, and took numerous cross-country family vacations, visiting family throughout the United States, often getting sidetracked for a ghost town or out of the way site. Robert also loved telling stories of his many adventures as a young man. Robert built his own home, carpet shop, garage and little barn where he enjoyed having horses for his kids. He built them as he went along so he didn’t have house payments. He also saved for family vacations so he didn’t want to go into debt. Robert was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Lucille O’Bryan from Stillwater, his in-laws Rueben and Grace Coleman-Bodfors from the Stanchfield/Cambridge area and grandson Landon Lane of Stanchfield. Robert is survived by wife Karen Bodfors-O’Bryan of Cambridge; children Shaun O’Bryan of Cloverdale; Michelle O’Bryan of Mounds View, Tracy O’Bryan-Lane (fiancé Scott Engstrom) of Braham; Patrick O’Bryan of Blaine, Trudy (Nate) Putbrese of Cambridge; grandchildren Nichole, Josey, Jesse, Jennifer, Jeremy, Jill, Jason, Misty, Maggie, Logan, Lukas, Gabriella, Brody, Jackson, Nathanael and Max; 3 great grandchildren Dylan, Violet and Oliver; 3 sisters Elaine O’Bryan-Blake of Rockford, Illinois, Margery O’Bryan-Henderson of Oklahoma City, and Judy O’Bryan-Grimsley of Amarillo, Texas; 1 sister-in-law Sharon Ward of Spokane, Washington; several nieces and nephews. Even the neighbor girls; Kelli and Kayle, considered him their grandpa.