1980 At sixty-one years young, Robert retires and moves to 4442 Lower Covert Road, Trumansburg NY.
He and Bones drove up earlier from Locust to prepare the house. Pris and Carolyn drove the family station wagen with a hole in the floor. Mike followed behind driving Bob’s sporty, but not reliable, Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (we think it was a 1967). True to form, at one point when Mike missed a turn-off and ended up on a lonely rural New York state road the Karmann Ghia stalled out at a stop sign. It was a bit of adventure, in the days before cell phones, for Mike to remember how to restart the car — (he had to put it in neutral gear).
NOTE: the development of the Karmann Ghia has a very interesting, and a bit shady history. I invite you, dear reader to look online further.
His youngest son, Tommy would begin high school in Trumansburg. Bob went on social security, which he bragged that he and Pris — and for a few more years, Tommy — lived on for the rest of his life. It was approximately $15,000.
Ever interested in understanding how the world works, Bob took his upright piano apart. I still remember the pieces laid out carefully on the dining room floor. What a job to put it back together…and no one is certain if he ever was able to get the parts he needed to put it back together. Eventually, he got rid of it.
Bob’s 5th grandson, Nathaniel, came up with his parents from Manhattan. And on the visit, was baptized by Bob’s brother, Nate’s Great-Uncle Lavern (pastor at Sacred Heart in Bowmansville NY) in August 1981 at St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg.
Fr. Kanka, was pastor from 1980 – 1994 of St. James the Apostle, Catholic Parish. Church 17 Whig Street. Bob and Priscilla were very active in parish life, as they had been in their previous parish communities. Bob was so busy with RCIA the first year or two in the new parish that he .told fr Kaanka “I did not return to work full time for you.”
The history of this parish goes back to the Cayuga tribe inhabitants of the area, continues through Jesuit missions….until today. Well worth reading in its entirety. From the History of St James the Apostle Parish:
Father Kanka, the last diocesan priest assigned to Trumansburg, was a soft-spoken man who loved the village of Trumansburg. He especially enjoyed going to dinner at various parishioner’s houses and they so enjoyed his company he rarely ate alone. In gratitude for his service, and acknowledging his love for the village, the Parish Council purchased a burial plot and stone for him in St. James Cemetery when he retired in 1994. Fr. Kanka returned to be buried there in 2012.
1983
Bob and Pris’ kids were marrying. Sue and Stan, though married in 1983 in Nykobing F. Denmark, wanted a celebration with the family and so Christmastime of that year renewed their vows with Fr.Kanka in St. James with a reception held in the Trumansburg American Legion Hall. The family from both sides drove in from various places in the Northeast US during the worst snowstorm iup to that point in NY state history. Sue and Stan drove in from Cleveland OH with his parents. Many of the invited guests could not attend due to the weather.
Once they were empty nesters, Bob, Priscilla, and Bob’s brother, Lavern shared a condo at 1091 Forest Lakes Drive in Naples, Florida. Built in 1974, this was an end villa next to the golf course. With 1,250 sq.ft, it had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two parking spots. This was in a retirement community and our parents let it be known that kids were not invited. It sold in 2022 for $324,900 (zillow). In his sixites, he put in a tile floor, among other projects in the new place. Yes, they were “Snow birds” as they headed south right after Christmas and stayed until March or so. Doc Lowe and his wife Joanne
1987
Unfortunately, Fr. Lavern Kieber, died at 73in July of 1990 at Kenmore Mercy Hospital in Tonawanda, NY of Malignent Melanoma or Colon Cancer. They all truly enjoyed their time south where they had a break from kids and grandkids and could pursue individual interests. One was painting lessons in the Clubhouse.
Bob turned 70 in 1992. Dave and Cynth organized a party near Syracuse.
Fr. Kanka retired in 1994 and Robert was 75 years old and ready for a warmer climate, Robert and Priscilla moved to coastal North Carolina, 103 Sutton Drive, Cape Carteret, NC . This final home for Bob and Pris was a brick three bedroom, 2 bathroom with 1,751 sq. ft. liveable space and an attached garage on .68 acre built in 1971. In 2023, the zillow estimate was $418,600. This house was a block away from the Star Hill Golf course, where Dad enjoyed many golf outings, and Mom, aquasize.
Bob was an active golfer his entire life, including golfing while he was a student at University of Michigan
— up until the year before he died. He and his sons spent a yearly golf weekend for many years. They said Bob usually beat the pants off the younger men! And — as usual with the Kieber family, there were lots of gags and goofing around. A sense of humour was never in short supply with these jokesters. 
The Cape Cartert house was about a ten minute drive to beautiful walks in the Croatan National Forest, where we all shared lovely times in the piney forest bordering the White Oak River.
1995 — city directory, 103 Sutton Drive, Cape Carteret, NC.
An active and devout Catholic all of his life, Robert and Priscilla were active members of St. Mildred’s in Swansboro for fifteen years. At times he had been a lector, an usher, and a Eucharistic minister. He enjoyed meeting with his fellow knights in the Knights of Columbus. You may have seen Robert or Priscilla at Saturday evening mass where they usually arrived early to pray the rosary. Over the years, many people expressed a deepening of their faith after attending one of Dr. Kieber’s religious education classes such as the one the taught at the Camp Lejeune prison.
In August 1998, when Bob was 79 yrs. young, he and Priscilla celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. 
Their shared faith in Catholicism had brought them together when the couple met in Ann Arbor, and it continued to fortify them throughout all of the tribulations and blessings of their long lives. Naturally then, the celebration began with a Mass at St. Mildred’s. As far as I can tell, all of Bob’s children and grandchildren attended. And as you can see, the family had grown exponentially. As I look at this picture now, I realize that all of those in the photo are grown and many have children of their own. The service was followed by a luncheon at a nearby restaurant. White Oak River Bistro, Swansboro.
Bob was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars ROMEO group, and spent time volunteering at several community groups. For many years, he supported youth sports through coaching. An early environmentalist in his own way, he was past member of the Izaac Walton League, White Oak River chapter.
Dad’s 90th Birthday party on 30 June, 2009 was perhaps the last good day. Carol and Mike bought hamburgers — they were really awful ones, too since the vegetarians had no idea how to buy good meat! Dave and Greg bought a cake — it too, was a pretty bad supermarket cake. Dave is an avowed PIE person and those two didn’t know how to find a good cake. The burgers were grilled and the food eaten nonetheless. And we all savor the memory of
Dad’s last good day.
At 90 years of age, Bob died 18 September 2009. He’s buried at Coastal Carolina Veteran’s Cemetery. He left this world with full military honors, including an escort from St. Mildred’s, where his funeral was celebrated, to the cemetery. One of his oldest and dearest students from Mater Dei, now an attorney in NYC, Bob Rooney was able to attend the service, as well as Eric Nordby, who represented Bob’s neice, Kris’s family and who left a full platter of luncheon meats and cheeses for the grieving family. As well as all of Robert’s children and grandchildren, there were many of his friends from St. Mildred’s, especially the Knights of Columbus, who were always dear to him.
Robert John Kieber’s PUBLICATIONS
The Thermal Death Points of Some Members of the Genus Micrococcus. Bact. Proc., 1953.
Studies on the Role of Prodigiosin. Bact. Proc., 1954.
The Determination of Glucosomine with Ninhydrin. Arch. Biochem and Biophys., 1954.
Abstract — full text available on Elsevier from Science Direct
The identification of glucosamine in the presence of two polyhydroxy carboxylic acids on chromatograms irrigated with butanolpyridine solvents has been effected with ninhydrin. The amine sugar does not respond to aniline hydrogen phthalate under similar conditions. N-Acetylglucosamine responds to aniline hydrogen phthalate except in the presence of galacturonic acid. A modified irrigating solvent is suggested which may preclude the possibility of interference by amino acids with analyses for glucosamine.
The Sterol Control of Fungi. I, Methods of Disrupting Cells, Extracting and Determining Sterols. Appl. Microbiol. 1955. NOTE: this article had 10 citations in 2021.
The Sterol Control of Fungi. II, Screening of Representative Yeasts and Molds for Sterol Content. Appl. Microbiol., 1955.
Citric Acid. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1961, 53, 4, 253–258 Publication Date:April 1, 1961. This article had 2 citations in 2021.
.U.S. Patent #3,285,828, Nov. 1966. Production of Citric Acid by Fermentation. A PDF of this file can be found here.
U.S. Patent #3, 372,094, March 1968. Process of Making Citric Acid by Fermentation.
Greg’s EULOGY
Dear Dad, I wanted to write you this letter telling you why I loved and admired you so much. It’s hard to know exactly where to begin,
but I keep coming back to your sense of humor. No visit with you was ever complete without sharing jokes and you always had a ready supply of them, but in reality, your sense of timing was much better than mine ever was. Even in the waning hours and days, you still found 
it possible to make us laugh, telling us the latest one you’d heard in spite of the tubes and wires that confined you — an admirable lesson to laugh in the face of adversity. Personally, I will always remember — and have quoted many times — your quip to me once as I showed you a new pair of my size 13 eee shoes. “Hey, did you get a set of oars with those canoes?”
Your loving relationship with Mom, spanning 61 years, through good times and bad, showed all of us what can be accomplished when 2 work as 1. We learned that love can endure any hardship and that working together to solve problems can strengthen a relationship — we all saw how strong your marriage was when you renewed your vows at your 50th wedding anniversary. With 9 kids to raise, you and Mom certainly endured your share of tough times, but your example of how to overcome them was a beacon of hope to us all and has certainly helped guide me in life.
Over the years, you worked with each of the kids, mentoring us in both academic and non-academic endeavors. We all had our own special abilities and inclinations and you helped each of us as we needed. For some, it wassports, for others, it was poetry, music, environmental activism, and a host of other extracurricular activities. You celebrated each triumph no matter how small and embodied the philosophy that “It’s not winning of losing, but how you play the game.” Even to adulthood, you were able to offer advice on parenting, jobs, finances, whatever we needed — you were always there for us. For me, the lessons of team work, fair play, and perseverance came through our time in Little League baseball and Pop Warned football. Whether it was catching a fly ball or blocking an opposing lineman, you taught me to focus and execute. I’m also sure that my siblings were provided with endless hours of enjoyment watching the home movies you shot of my on-field antics.
Christmas time is our house was always magical — seemingly always filled with young eyes eagerly awaiting the wonders under the tree. But even here, there were lessons for us. Attention to detail was required as we decorated the tree — each strand of tinsel had to be individually placed on the tree. Even your brother, Lavern, a Roman Catholic priest, was not immune from this lesson as he tried to throw large clumps of tinsel rather than the more time-consuming method you advocated. We all learned the value of patience as we stood at the top of the staircase in Locust, on Christmas morning, lined up in age order, youngest ot oldest, while you and Mom went downstairs to prepare for the coming onslaught — and, of course, got a cup of coffee. But you also taught us the real meaning of Christmas as we descended the staircase singing Oh Tannenbaum or Happy Birthday Baby Jesus.
Working as a “Bottom Man” on our boat, the SS Priscilla, taught me the value of hard work. For those who don’t know, a “bottom man” in our house was the person who prepared the bottom of the hull for the season, scraping barnacles and other debris, and then applying a coat of red paint — much of which got into my hair and clothes, possibly accounting for my pre-mature grey hair. Later, during the summer, as you and Mr. Cook enjoyed a Schaefer beer and cigar while floating out in Sandy Hook Bay fishing for flounder, I enjoyed the fruits of my labors while decling the “chum” sandwich you offered me.
None of the boys will forget our time together in early spring at our yearly golf outings. While we “boys” were trying to outdo each other with the driver –and mostly ending up in the woods out of bounds — you always found the center of the fairway, even if not as far as you would have liked. We all wanted to be on your team and not just because of your cinsistency with the clubs but mostly because of your gentle counsel regarding both golf and life.
Finally Dad, I have to talk about the final lessons you taught us from your hospital bed. While finding yourself in a situation, seeming bereft of dignity, you managed to find the peace, strength, and inner joy that characterized your life. During our last heart-to-heart chat, you had many wonderful things to say about me, my 8 siblings, of course, Mom, your beloved wife. But you also told me a story about a conversation with your own father near the end of his life in which he extolled the importance of being a mensch. I looked up the definition of mensch and beyond the literal meaning of “person,” Merriam Webster defines Mensch as a “person of honor and integrity.”
Dad, you were a mensch is every sense of the word. Thanks so much for your patience, love and understanding over the years, but mostly, thanks for being my Dad.
Obituary:
Robert John Kieber, 90, died 15 September 2009 after extended illness. Born 30 June 1919 in Buffalo NY to John and Anna (Ruhland) Kieber, Dr. Kieber resided in Cape Carteret NC for the past 15 years.
Dr. Kieber graduated from Bennet High School in Buffalo and continued his education at the University of Michigan, studying zoology. After graduation, he served as a 1st Lieutenant in the 553rd Army Air Force Bomber Unit, 3rd Fighter Group. A pilot during World War 2 stationed in Cerignola, Italy, he flew a B-24 Liberator in the European Command.
After the war, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee. He taught at the U. of Tennessee, State University of New York at Buffalo, and Georgian Court College. During his academic career, he published several papers summarizing his research in bacteriology. He also worked many years as a chemical engineer in New Jersey. Dr. Kieber received numerous patents for his work, notably for his research on fermentation processes.
An active and devout Catholic all of his life, he’d been a member of St. Mildred’s for fifteen years. At times he had been a lector, an usher, and a Eucharistic minister. He enjoyed meeting with his fellow knights in the Knights of Columbus. You may have seen Robert or Priscilla at Saturday evening mass where they usually arrived early to pray the rosary. Over the years, many people expressed a deepening of their faith after attending one of Dr. Kieber’s religious education classes such as the one the taught at the Camp Lejeune prison. He also inspired many young people while on the faculty of Mater Dei High School, New Monmouth NJ where he was faculty member for eight years.
He was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars ROMEO group, and spent time volunteering at several community groups. For many years, he supported youth sports through coaching. An early environmentalist, he was past member of the Izaac Walton League, White Oak River chapter. Known for his love of thoughtful discussion, his wry humor and sharp insights were appreciated by his many friends and large family. An avid ice hockey player when young, Dr. Kieber also enjoyed golf, tennis, photography, reading, fishing, boating, gardening, and tinkering.
The family is deeply grateful for the love and support parishioners have shown Bob over the years. Please continue to remember him in your prayers.FUNERAL MASS for ROBERT KIEBER