Former area resident, Sgt. Joshua James Robinson, 29 died Sunday, August 7, 2011 in Sangin District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Services will be Tuesday August 16, 2011; 2:00 P.M. at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, Hastings, Nebraska with Father Joseph M. Walsh officiating. Burial with military rites will be in Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, Nebraska. Visitation will be Monday August 15, 2011; 4 P.M. until 8 P.M. at the funeral home and 1P.M. until 1:45 P.M. at the church on Tuesday. Memorials may be given to the Robinson Family Fund (Sgt. Joshua Robinson) at any Wells Fargo Bank.

This is a story of a young man who was proud to be a Nebraskan. He began with a prayer from his parents. Please pray for his family now! Joshua was born on October 28, 1981 in Hastings, Nebraska at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital to Steven A. & Misi Lea (Meyer) Robinson of Nelson, Nebraska. In 1982, the family moved to a 100 acre farm near Oak, Nebraska. He loved growing up on the farm, fishing, hunting, riding horses and taking care of his 4-H animals. He learned how to shoot his 50th anniversary Red Rider BB gun, then a pellet gun, and dad’s 22 across the tailgate. He would bring back birds and squirrels from his day’s hunt in the pasture along the creek. He loved going hunting with us, for deer, rabbits, and coyotes. He would sit so still and quiet in the tree stands, blinds, or behind cedar trees so they wouldn’t smell him. He quickly learned how to track animals and loved being out in nature. The family moved to Colorado for a few years where Josh became quite an athlete. He water skied, even behind a sail boat, barefoot wake board, knee board, and was certified as a scuba diver. Josh was a high school state wrestler for three years. He graduated from Overland High School Aurora, Colorado in 2000. The family moved back to La Vista, Nebraska and Josh attended Metro College for two years in Omaha. Josh continued with his sport ability and branched out into rodeo and riding bulls. Josh married Rhonda Zaruba (a 1994 graduate of Bennington High school) in November of 2004 and they have two sons, Kodiak age 5 and Wyatt age 4.  Then September 11, 2001 happened and changed the world as we knew it, and our freedom was put on the line. It takes young men like Josh to enlist and protect the USA. Josh enlisted in the Marines with a Nebraska unit and started his basic training in December 2003. When asked why the Marines, he proudly responded saying that if he was going he wanted to be a part of the first in and the best. He really was a fine example of “The Few, The Proud, The Marines.” Josh was meritoriously promoted to PFC and Sgt. and received numerous other personal awards throughout his eight year career in the Marines. Josh put his Nebraska rearing and expertise into practice and trained as a Scout Sniper with the 1st Marine Division, and did three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Because of his accomplishments and his innate ability for tracking he was asked to develop and teach a man tracking course, they only one offered in the world. He also taught high angle sniper and mountain survival at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California. Josh even taught his sons the different tracks as they came up on the screen saver on his computer. They could name them all correctly at ages 5 and 3 1/2. He was an amazing teacher, daddy, and husband with very proud parents! Josh deployed for Afghanistan in March of 2011 and was expected back in October. He was with the 1st Marine Division in Afghanistan. Rhonda, Kody, and Wyatt had moved back to Nebraska while Josh was deployed. His family had talked to him the day before his death. The sign of two Marines and a Navy Chaplin at your door says it all! Please pray for this young Nebraska man’s family. He was proud to be a Nebraskan! God Bless Him! Josh will be missed by all of his family.

Joshua was preceded in death by his father, Steven A. Robinson; grandparents, Al Robinson, Harlan and Kathryne Meyer and Glen Moser; step sister, Shonnie Hard; and uncles, Leonard Robinson and David Robinson.

Survivors include:
Wife: Rhonda Robinson – Bennington, NE
Sons: Kodiak Robinson – Bennington, NE
    Wyatt Robinson – Bennington, NE
Mother & Step-Father: Misi (Robinson) Moser & Jim Moser – Honolulu, HI
Rhonda’s Parents: Robert & Ruth Zaruba – Bennington, NE
Grandparents: Eileen Robinson – Hastings, NE
    Dorothy Moser – Manhattan, KS
Grandmother-in-law: Rita Zaruba – Fullerton, NE
Sisters & Families: Angela S. & Allen Johnson – Nowata, OK
    Dylan, Adam & Abby
    Stacy L. & Blake Horst – Vass, NC
Step Sisters & Families: Julie & JR Streff – Topeka, KS
    Taylor & Jenna
    Tami & Carl Ellett – Hermosa Beach, CA
    Nephew Andy Hard - Oakhurst, CA
    Niece Shonnie Hard – Oakhurst, CA
    Shannon & Brett Wilson – San Diego, CA
    Riley & Kennedy
    Monica and Mark Pardue – Oakhurst, CA
    Stephanie & Samantha
    Stephanie & Patrick Engelkins – Colorado Springs, CO
    Pierce, Mac Kinzie & Sydney
    Toni Benson – Colorado Springs, CO
    Adley & Aiden
Sisters-in-law & Families: Rachel & Patrick Michael – Omaha, NE
    LeaAnn & Brandon
    Renae Zaruba – Omaha, NE
    Regina & Josh Lewis – Hastings, NE
    Savannah & Lakyn
Uncles & Spouses: Greg & Coleen Meyer – Beatrice, NE
    Craig & Sheri Meyer – Grand Island, NE
    Scott & Dawn Robinson – Hastings, NE
Aunts & Spouses: Susi Rinker – Hastings, NE
    Linda Robinson – Nashville, TN
    Anne & Barry Anderson – New Castle, CO
Numerous cousins extended family and friends