Robert George Thomas, 84, of Cook, MN passed away peacefully on November 14, 2023.

Robert was born June 16, 1939 in Virginia, MN to Donovan and Elsie (Laine) Thomas. He grew up in Linden Grove Township and graduated from Cook High School in 1957. He also graduated from Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis in 1961, where he learned a welding trade. On July 7, 1962, he married Norma Nieters at Trinity Lutheran Church. They lived in Linden Grove for 60 years.

Bob worked for Reserve Mining in Babbitt for four years. Bob was a pioneer employee at Eveleth Taconite, where he retired in 1995, after 30 years of service. He worked all his life in the family logging and firewood business and enjoyed that very much. He also liked to attend sprint and stock car races and enjoyed reading. He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church. In Bob's "later" retirement years, his friends knew they could visit him at the firewood pile. He would be precisely sawing wood to the 16-inch lengths; splitting the wood with the splitter Bill Nieters made, and piling the wood in very straight rows.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; and son Scott on Dec. 31, 2015.

He is survived by his wife Norma; daughter Debra (Randy) Bradt of Ely; daughter-in-law Susan Thomas of Cook; two grandsons: Erik (Raya Aspinwall) Thomas and Nathan (Isabelle Benson) Bradt of Zumbrota.

The family is grateful for the compassionate care Bob received at Carefree Living and the Cook Hospital. A Memorial Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 19 from 2:00-4:00pm with a prayer service at 4:00pm at Mlaker Funeral Home, Cook, MN. Interment will be at Willow Valley Cemetery at a later date.

Memorials preferred to Trinity Lutheran Church: P.O. Box 1196, Cook, MN 55723 or St. Louis County Rescue Squad: 5735 Old Miller Trunk Hwy, Hermantown, MN 55811. Online condolences to www.mlakerfuneralhome.com