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Completing a life both rugged and tender, Robert Ronald Slater, 85, passed away peacefully on his Mahtowa farm Monday, November 17, 2025. He was surrounded by family, friends and caring neighbors during his final days.
Born to Roy and Pauline Slater on Nov. 21, 1939 in Hope, North Dakota, Robert later came of age on the family farm in Mahtowa, where he spent most of his life with his loving wife of 58 years, the late Colleen (Rodgers) Slater.
Robert recalled wanting to be a farmer from the time he was a toddler playing on dirt piles. He craved the simple life and found lifelong inspiration in the 1959 Frankie Miller country western single, “Blackland Farmer.”
Robert attended Barnum High School, but his career belonged to the Yellow Birch Holsteins farm. There, he and Colleen shared a lifetime of love and memories.
Robert devoted his life to the farm, breeding and milking prized Holstein cows for decades. He knew animals and machinery well and respected them both. A tireless worker, he was hard when he had to be and a softie when he needed to be. He employed boys and girls as farmhands, and taught relatives and children how to show cattle. His mentoring led to lifelong friendships and provided many folks with their first experiences in farming.
Robert was a proud and active member of the Minnesota Holstein Association and the local farming community in general. Many knew him as Bob. He helped neighbors and others with their projects and a lot of those people helped him, too. A John Deere man, he loved haying his fields and enjoyed restoring old tractors in his workshop.
He took good care of his cats. He was curious, liked to read and formed strong opinions about the things that interested him. He was a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan.
Robert carried on with the family tradition of deer hunting, making it so family members, friends and neighbors enjoyed the privilege of hunting on the farm.
Robert is survived by his siblings Faye (Ron) Jacobson, Lee Slater, and Larry (Karen) Slater, in-laws Patricia Nolin, Bill Rodgers and Mike Rodgers, and 29 nieces and nephews, among them several godchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents and sisters, Pearl Anderson and Shirley White.
Robert made time for everyone and welcomed visitors. There was always room for a sandwich and coffee in the middle of a long, hard day. He will be greatly missed.
There will be a celebration of life for Colleen and Robert from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 at Salem Hall in Mahtowa.
Note: We publish obituaries free of charge and always in front of the paywall. For decades, obituary pages have served as a true community record, a place to honor lives, share stories and preserve local history. We remain committed to keeping this tradition available to every family in our region. Please submit obituaries to: Duluth@aol.com.
