Robert Lewis Renaud, 85, of Grinnell, passed away Jan. 25, 2023, at Montezuma Specialty Care. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, at Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. A visitation will be held two hours prior to the service, from 1-3 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home. A gravesite ceremony will be held at Grinnell’s Hazelwood Cemetery at 1 p.m., Friday, May 26, 2023. Memorials may be designated to either Grinnell Historical Museum, Lynnville Wagaman Mill and Museum, or Grinnell United Methodist Church, c/o Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.
Robert was born Jan. 7, 1938, to Harold and Mabel (White) Renaud in Grinnell. He was raised in Grinnell on the family farm and graduated from Grinnell High School with the Class of 1956.
Apr. 9, 1961, he was united in marriage to Helen Miller in Melbourne. To this union, the couple had two sons Scott and Brent.
Robert was a lifelong farmer. He started farming full-time in 1953 when he was 15 when his father had a major heart attack. The farm raised, at one time or another, dairy, chickens, hogs, and cattle. He started conservation farming in 1964 and won the District Conservationist Award in 1972. In 1964, he purchased his first herd of Hereford cattle from a ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska. The cattle herd grew to 200 head of Simmental, Angus, and Hereford mixes. He was a member of Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, board of directors for Iowa State Fair Beef Quarters, Poweshiek Cattlemen’s Association, and Barn Foundation.
He loved all animals, especially cats and dogs. He had a dog as a constant companion, including Skippy when he was a boy. Robert was especially fond of Lad, Buster, Tip, Rex, Bill, Cletus, and his last dog Ike. Every cat was petted every day, and he had trouble walking around the farm with a cloud of cats around his feet.
His life revolved around family, farming, and the community of Grinnell. He loved the Iowa State Fair and was a regular fairgoer. He started the family skiing in 1974 with the opening of Fun Valley in Montezuma. Regular family trips were to Colorado to see his sister who lived in Colorado Springs and skiing for a week at Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin. He skied his last time with his son Scott at the age of 67 with a trip to Ski Cooper. He attended all his grandsons’ sporting events. The grandsons especially enjoyed making homemade ice cream with grandpa.
He was a lifelong, third-generation member of Grinnell United Methodist Church where he served on various boards, choir, and Sunday school teacher. He loved singing in the choir, one of his few joys outside farming. He sang in the choir for 50 years.
In a farmer’s retirement, he travelled the United States on bus trips with Helen to various locations in the United States and Canada.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years Helen of Grinnell; his sons Scott Renaud of Huxley and Brent (Julie Mally) Renaud of Grinnell; his grandchildren and their children, Alex (Amanda) Renaud, Tessa, Calvin, and Cecilia and Blake (Liesl) Renaud and George.
He was predeceased by his parents, and his sister and her husband Janice (Don) Sidie.
