Funeral services for Robert "Bob" Newbern, 79, of Coal Valley, IL, will be 10:00 AM Thursday at the Van Hoe Funeral Home Ltd., East Moline, IL. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery, Moline, IL, where the East Moline American Legion Post 227 will conduct Military Honros. Visitation will be 4:00-7:00PM Wednesday at the funeral home, with a Masonic service at 7PM by the Coal Valley Lodge 59. Mr. Newbern died Friday May 27, 2011 at home. Memorials may be made to the New Hope Baptist Church,Coal Valley, where he had been a member. Bob was born February 22, 1932 in Rock Island, IL, the son of Dills and Esther (Plog) Newbern. He was a graduate of Rock Island High School in 1950, where he had never missed a day of school. He attended St. Ambrose College, Davenport, IA. He married Jeannene Kelly March 9, 1957 in Rock Island, IL. He later married the love of his life, Margaret "Maggie" DeRoo May 5, 1967 in Moline, IL. He served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. He retired from the former International Harvester, East Moline and had worked at Forward Air, Moline for over 20 years. He loved watching his grandsons play sports and was an avid Aledo Green Dragons Fan. His allegiance to the Chicago Bears had earned him the title of "Mr Bear." He also enjoyed reading and was a bit of a historian. He had been a member of the Ancient Free & Accepted Mason of Illinois, Valley Lodge # 547 Coal Valley for 49 years. Survivors include his daughters, Cheri (Rick) Brown of Aledo, IL, Kelly Jo Lehrer of Aledo; grandsons, Shane Eskridge, Sean (Jillian) Eskridge, Cody Brown, Cory Brown; great grandson, Brody Esp. He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Maggie Newbern.