San Bernardino County Obituaries

Robert Webb

Submitted by Peggy Hooper 10 Feb 2008

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Redlands Daily Facts Newspaper; 02/08/2008

Private services planned for Robert and Irene Webb
A private service is planned for Robert and Irene Webb, longtime residents of 
Redlands who moved to Oakland in 2004 to be closer to family. 

Irene Webb died Feb. 11, 2005, in Oakland at the age of 89, after a short illness.
Her husband, Robert "Bob" Webb, died this year on Jan. 1 in Oakland at the age of 
87, after a long illness. 

The service for them will be at Riverside National Cemetery, site of the former 
Camp Haan, in recognition of their military service and in remembrance of their 
meeting there at a USO function 65 years ago. 

The Webbs are survived by their four children, Arthur Webb, Joan McKenna, Kathryn 
Webb and Cheryl Webb, and six grandchildren. Robert Webb is also survived by 
three sisters. 

Remembrances may be sent to the family at 1215 62nd St., Oakland, CA 94608. 

Irene Linnea Maria Hokanson Webb was born April 16, 1915, in Seattle to Swedish 
immigrants Arthur Bror and Hannah Westlund Hokanson. 

In 1918 she and her family moved to Redlands where her father began building 
their home on an acre of citrus at Central Avenue and Grove Street. Her father 
died in 1924 before the house was finished. 

Irene graduated from Redlands High School in 1933, from San Bernardino Valley 
College in 1936 and from the University of Redlands in 1938. 

After teaching elementary school in Imperial County for a year, she returned to 
Redlands and became a caseworker for the San Bernardino County Welfare Department. 

During World War II, she took leave to serve in the U.S. Navy WAVES from 1944 to 
1945. 
Following her wedding to Robert Webb in December 1946 at the First Baptist Church 
in Redlands, she moved to Montana where her husband finished law school and 
started his career. They returned to Redlands in 1955 to raise their family and 
assist Irene's mother. 

As a member of the First Baptist Church since 1928, Irene was active in Church
Women United. She was also active as a community volunteer throughout her life: 
in the Order of the Eastern Star in Montana; and in Redlands, the League of Women 
Voters, PTA, Girl Scouts and American Association of University Women. 

She received awards for her service from the PTA and American Association of 
University Women. 

At her request, no services were held, however she wanted the following included 
in her obituary: 

"My family and my friends will remember me from time to time, and I thank you all 
for being these things to me. May God bless us all. I feel we all are `one in the 
spirit' though geography separates our communications, so `keep the faith.' " 

Robert John Webb was born May 19, 1920, in Jamestown, N.D., to Perry and Maude 
Kenner Webb, and graduated from Kelliher High School in Minnesota in 1937. 

He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota, worked in Alaska and 
studied forestry at the University of Washington before he joined the U.S. Army 
in 1942. 

He served primarily in central Europe until the end of World War II. On his 
return, he earned his degree in law at the University of Montana and practiced 
law in Montana until moving to Redlands in 1955. 

After he worked for the California Water and Telephone Co. in Redlands for a few 
years, he worked for the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District on the 
massive statewide water project. 

He then joined the San Bernardino County Public Defender's office, from which he 
retired in June 1983. 

His hobbies included amateur radio, chess and reading. 

During the Vietnam War, he was active in the MARS program to connect servicemen 
in the field with their families in pre-cell phone days. 

He was active in the First Baptist Church, was a member of several Redlands 
service organizations, and enjoyed the A.K. Smiley Public Library.