Inspirational, mischievous, sweet and stubborn, Robb was a loving son, protective older brother and dedicated friend to many.

He was born in Warren, Minnesota on September 7, 1950, to Robert and Joyce Barr. Joyce had left her family’s reservation, Sisseton-Wahpeton, home of the Dakota Nation (Sioux), during World War II. She met Robert in Minnesota, and they married in 1948. In Warren, they managed a dairy farm, where Robb spent his early years milking the cows and teasing his two sisters, Sandi and Cheryl. He’s also rumored to have peed on the electric fence...and then tricked the neighbor kids into doing the same.

When the three Barr children were in high school, the family moved from Warren to Bismarck, North Dakota - a dusty, prairie town on the doorstep of the great American West.

Robb finished high school there in Bismarck - now looking out for his two sisters rather than teasing them. He liked to spend his free time acting. He played Sitting Bull in the local outdoor theater. He also loved animals and nature and assisted local farmers in the summers to get out of the "big city."

After high school his path lead to the mountains and valleys of Colorado where he went to school to be a radio announcer, but things didn’t go well. At a low point in his life, Robb was sentenced to imprisonment at the Colorado State Penitentiary. During his stay there, he was given a leather kit by a friend and began to practice. With time on his hands, he mastered use of the tools and developed his own technique and approach to leather carving.

When he returned to Bismarck he was welcomed home by his extended family. (Take a look at our family tree below.) While living in Bismarck, Robb taught leather classes at the local high schools and volunteered his time to teach classes for developmentally disabled adults. He founded a leather guild called, "Capital City Carvers" and was a founding member of the "Heritage Art Association." Robb took up gardening - for the days when he needed to daydream about his next creation, and eventually Robb founded "Prairie Leather," his official artist’s studio.

In 1986, his dedication, creativity and superior talent were recognized when he was awarded the Al Stholman Award for Achievements in Leather. This is the highest honor attainable for a leather artist.

Shortly after receiving the award, Robb was invited to Switzerland to teach a group of interested students his techniques, and thus he began his world tour. In the years to come he visited other European countries, Asia, and Australia. He also began traveling within the US with his nephew Bill. Everywhere he went he charmed the people he met. His Japanese students rubbed his belly. His German students were fascinated by his Native American wild west image.

In mid 1997, Robb was told that his heart was failing. News of this quickly spread through the leather community, and letters began to arrive. The financial and emotional support that poured in from his students and friends around the world brought tears to his eyes. On Valentine’s Day, 14 February 1998, Robb received a heart transplant. Thinking back on that time Robb said, "I woke up on Valentine’s Day with a new heart and new life. It was better than a rose. I appreciate each day so much and thank the good Lord for watching over me. I say a special prayer to my donor and his family for the gift of life I received, allowing me to continue to create art in leather."

Following the transplant and his recovery, Robb once again took to the road. His nephew and apprentice, Bill Lince, joined him once again. They drove throughout the US teaching and exhibiting his work. Nothing pleased Robb more than driving for hours staring at the magnificent American countryside. He would turn on his video camera, perch it on the steering wheel, and film the open road while driving and listening to Meatloaf.

In March 2002, Robb’s left this world to re-join the Great Spirit and his ancestors. His ashes were set free in the muddy Missouri. A website has been created for him in memoriam.

Robb’s Family Tree

(click to enlarge)