Robert D. Samples, 82, lifelong resident of Morgan County, passed away Monday, March 14, 2011, in Bullhead City, AZ. Bob was born north of Snyder on July 25, 1928, to Conrad Schaffer and Caroline Helen (Cook) Samples. He attended school in Snyder, Brush, and South High School in Denver, and graduated from the Midwest Trade School in Denver. In June, 1946, Bob joined the US Navy and served in the Pacific in operations on Guam and the Aleutian Islands until 1948. He joined the reserved and was discharged from the naval reserve in 1952. On August 25, 1950, Bob married Marjorie Ann Jones in Denver at the Grant Avenue Methodist Church in Denver. In 1954 the Samples family moved back to the family farm north of Snyder, where Bob and his Brother, Bill, ranched and had a dairy herd. Bob was president of the Riverside Irrigation District and a member of the Riverside Irrigation Company for eight years. He served as Treasurer of the Lower South Platte Conservancy District four years and was President of the Tremont Mutual Irrigation Ditch. He was a member of the Morgan Prewitt and the Prewitt Operating Committee. Bob was the moving force for the formation of the Morgan County Quality Water District and was a charger member and served as vice president until he resigned in 1984. He was the President of the Colorado Water Officials Association and president of Colorado Association of Public Employees Chapter 50. He was a past member of the Fort Morgan Country Club, past member of Snyder IOOF, Deputy Grand Master of IOOF, a member of the Elks Lodge #1143, President of Sundowner's Lions Club, member of the Brush American Legion Sagebrush Post, and a member of the Fort Morgan United Methodist Church. Bob was appointed to the Colorado State Engineers Office as Water Commissioner in 1967 and retired in 1988. He and Marjorie were self employed part time water consultants until 2007. Survivors include his son, Curtis Samples of Fort Morgan; two daughters, Connie Ingmire of Brush and Patricia Ehrlich of Wiggins; four grandsons, Tyler Ingmire, Casey Samples, Lucas Ingmire and Eric Ingmire; three great grandchildren and one brother John W. Samples of Brush. He was preceded in death by his wife and his parents. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 9, 2011, at 10:00 AM at the Fort Morgan United Methodist Church. Inurnment will be in the Brush Memorial Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the United Methodist Church in Fort Morgan or to the charity of the donor's choice.