Robert was abandoned as an infant and placed in the St. Joseph’s Asylum for Children in New York City. At the age of 7 he was placed with a home in Pennsylvania. They were very mean to him, even tying him to the porch when they left for the day. Robert ran away and was taken in by the Wirtner family, and thereafter considered himself to be a son and brother. The oldest daughter, Sr. Callistus, was always kind to him. Robert nonetheless felt he was a burden and ran away when he was 16, He boarded with the Seybert family of Swissvale, Pa., and eventually married their daughter Ruth. Ruth and their daughters moved to California after Robert’s death from cancer.

Robert lived in Swissdale, before settling in Aliquippa, Pa. He worked for Jones & Laughlin Steel. Robert died of carnimona of the large intestine.