Posted by Robert Maxwell

Robert Kemper

by Don Heinzman

During 28 ½ years as an Elk River Rotarian, the late Robert Kemper had a perfect attendance mark, except for the excused days when he had triple bypass surgery.

Rotary allows members to make up their absence at other Rotary club meetings.Kemper who was a charter member of Elk River Rotary, made up meetings in Portugal, Rome, Athens, Haiti, St. Croix, San Andres, Mexico, Canada, Figi, Hawaii, Kauia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Raratonga, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei as well as clubs in the United States.

He was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship award in 1981.

Kemper credited his wife, Marcie, for allowing him to make up all those meetings.

He produced the Reactor Club Newsletter for nine years.He was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship in 1981.

Kemper ran the only drugstore in Elk River for many years; it is still named after him. He lived through the aftermath of a fire that destroyed the store in 1960, shortly after he had bought it.Within a day of the fire, he was back in business until the store was rebuilt.

In his memoirs he writes he tried to be involved in outside civic affairs,He served on the Library Board, the City Council, as president of the Chamber of Commerce and president of the Sherburne County Cancer Society.

“My greatest pleasure,” he wrote, “ was the Rotary Club. “The world needs a Rotary Club.It has many projects like Polio Plus, and it creates world-wide friendship.”