Robert Harstine

Robert Dean Harstine, 90, of Baltic, Ohio, passed away Monday, August 31, 2020 after a brief illness. He was born March 2, 1930 to the late John S. and Lydia A. (Baumgartner) Harstine. He was a dairy farmer and later worked for Bill Hawk Construction. After retiring from construction, he worked transporting members of the Amish community where he developed many friendships.

 Working in the fields farming he was able to find many Indian artifacts and enjoyed collecting many arrowheads and other flint and stone objects of all shapes and sizes. Robert enjoyed gardening and every year would plant large gardens that produced an abundance of vegetables. He also enjoyed picking strawberries and blackberries.

 There were two lakes on his property, and he stocked them with fish. They were a fisherman’s delight. Throughout his life he had many beloved hunting dogs and spent countless nights in the woods hunting. Every spring he would hunt morel mushrooms. Over the years he developed an incredibly good sense for where they could be found and brought home large crops of them to be enjoyed by all.  He had a lifelong love of sports and in his later years enjoyed watching and listening to sports, especially baseball. He looked forward to reading the newspaper every day and read hunting magazines and books. He enjoyed observing the wildlife on his property, the fish, deer, squirrels, raccoons, geese and other birds. He especially loved feeding them.

He was survived by five children, Christine Heifner Graor and husband Nick Graor of Brecksville, Steven of West Lafayette, Linda Saylor and husband Terry Saylor of Canton, Lorrie Knotts of Sugarcreek, Rob of Dover; eleven grandchildren; Kirk Heifner and wife Ozz Nooryani of British Columbia, Christian Heifner and wife Sujene Kong of New York, Nick Harstine and wife Mollee of West Lafayette, Justin Harstine of Dresden, Zac Saylor of Canton, Derek Saylor and wife Jamie of Canton, Nate Saylor and wife Lydia of Massillon, Kyle Saylor and wife Ashleigh of Canton, Camille Kinkade and husband Ken of New Philadelphia, Lydia Knotts and fiancée, Hunter Hostetler of Sugarcreek, and Matt Harstine and friend Ashlyn Stull of Dover. 6 great-grandchildren; Lila, Stella and Cecilia Kinkade, Henry Saylor, Juni Saylor and Bronson Harstine. 

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Doris (Hawk) Harstine, four brothers and one sister, grandson Jacob Shook, and daughter-in-law Jane (Burrier) Harstine.

*Father of Linda Saylor