[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12223]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


               HONORING THE LIFE OF ROBERT EUGENE BARTELS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JACKIE WALORSKI

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 22, 2015

  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Robert 
Eugene Bartels, who passed away at the age of 78, in South Bend, 
Indiana on July 17, 2015.
  Bob was born in 1937 in Zanesville, Ohio to the late Martin H. and 
Verna K. Bartels. In 1959, he graduated from Purdue University earning 
a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He joined General 
Electric and worked in various East Coast cities. In 1962, while 
visiting a fraternity brother in South Bend, he met Nancy Tarnow on a 
blind date. They later married and settled in Providence, Rhode Island.
  In 1964, Martin and Jane Tarnow offered Bob an opportunity to join 
Martin's Super Markets as a right-hand executive with the company. With 
Nancy as a partner and trusted confidante, Bob led Martin's Super 
Markets through many changes during his tenure.
  He developed a single `mom and pop' Martin's Super Market into an 
innovative, respected store chain covering much of Indiana. Today, 
these stores are more than just a supermarket; they are the glue that 
holds our Hoosier communities together.
  At 51, he became an employee of the supermarket and served as 
president and CEO beginning in 1973, and as chairman beginning in 2005.
  Under Bob's leadership, Martin's Super Markets grew into a fully 
functioning corporation by adding 19 additional stores, relocating six 
and completing countless updates and remodeling projects under his 
watch.
  In addition, he oversaw the introduction of many of the company's 
most popular features, such as Side Door Deli Cafes, Starbucks Coffee 
kiosks, catering, and more. Bob was instrumental in expanding Martin's 
Super Market's commitment to its communities, with fundraisers such as 
Heat for Homes, Roofsit, Advantages of Education and student 
scholarship programs, both public and private.
  Bob served his community and industry in many roles, including as 
former trustee of the Stanley Clark School in South Bend, Indiana; 
former director of St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce; former 
director of his local YMCA; and former trustee of Project Future in 
South Bend, Indiana.
  Make no mistake, Bob was a man gifted with a powerful intellect and 
the ability to understand great complexities, reduce them into simple 
concepts, and put them to work. He was a good steward and defined his 
responsibilities expansively.
  His commitment to personal excellence, education, demanding 
workloads, and his ability to turn opportunity into accomplishment were 
inspiring. His commitment to high personal standards of conduct and 
seemingly tireless effort and engagement were his way of showing his 
love for his family, colleagues and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire U.S. House of Representatives to join 
me in expressing our deepest sympathy to Bob Bartels and the entire 
Bartels family.

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