Dr. Robert Ingalls (Bob, “Doc”) Carleton went to be with his Savior July 20, 2023. He passed at the Morning Sun Care Center in his hometown after a long illness stemming from a serious stroke in 2012 and most recently, convalescence due to a broken ankle in late 2022. He was born on January 10, 1940, in Rockford, IL, to Robey I. and Helen C. (Brogunier) Carleton. He grew up on a small family dairy farm west of Rockton, IL, where he realized that if he wanted something fixed, he would need to do it himself. He was a member of 4-H and FFA raising sheep on the farm. Due to shifting districts, he went to five different grade schools (two of them one room) and never moved. He was a member of the Hononegah H.S. class of 1958 and married his high school sweetheart who became a nurse, Gayle Ruth McDaniel, in 1963. His Mom suffered from back pain for many years and chiropractors were unable to help her. When she was greatly helped by an osteopath after only one or two treatments, Bob had found his calling. He did his pre-med work at Rockford College (now Rockford University) and earned his medical degree from the Kirksville College of Osteopathy in Kirksville, MO. Upon graduation and after finishing his residences, Bob set up a family clinic in the town of Morning Sun in southeast Iowa. Anytime you went somewhere with him, someone was bound to come up and say that he had helped them or delivered a relative. When the clinics in southeast Iowa were bought out by the hospitals, he spent the rest of his career practicing emergency medicine in various ER rooms in the greater southeast Iowa area. He was a master restorer of many Ford Motor Company vehicles from Model T’s to Edsel’s and during Ford’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2002, the company sought him out and asked him to display his restored 1949 coupe in Dearborn, MI, to represent that model year. He was a member of several antique auto clubs and also restored John Deere tractors. He enjoyed participating in related events such as the Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant, IA. As a child his father instilled in him a love of trains and he enjoyed various train excursions; his home office was ringed with shelves of his childhood Lionel trains and model cars. As a youth he was involved in Youth for Christ and his faith was always foremost in his life wherever he was located. That faith continues on in his family with his oldest son being a pastor; his children and grandchildren are involved in ministry as well.
He is survived by his wife, Gayle, brother Dr. John C. (Sandy) Carleton, children; Rebecca (Dean) Bell, Robert F (Lora) Carleton, Amy (Aric) Sharp, and Daniel (Crystal) Carleton, fourteen grandchildren; Stephanie (Justin), Jessica (Nathan), Amanda (Mike), McKaylla (Micah), Alyssa (Adam), Cameron, Lauren (Wyatt), Seth (Sarah), Robey, Anna, Olivia, Isabel, Ellie and Sam; eight great-grandchildren; Titus, Sterling, Ayden, Esme, Iyla, Reuben, Eden and Everly; and one nephew Jeff.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 25th at The Way Church, Morning Sun, Iowa. His son, Pastor Rob Carleton will officiate. The family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 until the time of the service. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery, Rockford, IL at the Carleton Family plot on Wednesday, July 26th.
A memorial has been established, in lieu of flowers, to The Way Church. Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.