ROCHELLE — Being a member on several boards, committees, and volunteer work hasn’t slowed Bobbie Colbert a bit.

In fact, Colbert’s current involvement in the community is vast as a board member with the League of Women Voters, Flagg Township Museum, Hub City Senior Center, and Ogle County. She also serves on several committees.

Colbert moved to Rochelle in 1967 with her husband, Joel, (who she calls Joe) and their five children after he landed a job at Rochelle Township High School as a teacher and football coach. As a stay-at-home mom, Colbert was also heavily involved with the PTA, church, school functions, and all that went with being a coach’s wife.

Colbert recalled when Joel was hired as the RTHS football coach by Bill Helms and also reflected on the team’s conference win back in 1971. Joel went on to coach until 1982.

“I never missed a football game at home or away all those years…I love football,” Colbert beamed. “There are so many joys in coaching… Being a coach’s wife was a big part of my life. You live and die all those ball games.”

In between raising children and the school-related activities, Colbert also had part time jobs — running a detasseling crew, sewing draperies, hanging wallpaper, working for an insurance agency, and volunteering at the hospital.

“I was active in the hospital auxiliary when they used to have pink ladies,” Colbert said. “We watered the flowers, took mail to the patients, worked in the ER as a receptionist. I was there for years doing service work.”

Although the list of her accomplishments is lengthy, Colbert went on to talk about the most rewarding of all — playing a big role in the Flagg-Rochelle Public Library’s addition decades ago during her time on the board. Colbert explained when she enters the library to this day she will reflect on that time from hiring the architect and planning the design, to picking out the color scheme.

“That’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done all the way through the election and the political process. To get that referendum passed was so much work,” Colbert said. “We walked the whole town three times going door to door…it was a big, big victory! That is the biggest thing that I’m really proud of and I’m happy to be a part of that.”

Getting political

Colbert admits it was Paul Simon who interested her into the political environment.

“Joe was political, and I wasn’t but I went on a meet and greet for Paul,” Colbert said. “I’ve been active with them ever since and worked on lots of campaigns, winners and losers.”

With her political spirit already sparked, Colbert eventually went on to another political accomplishment; in 2004, she singlehandedly arranged for then-candidate Barack Obama, who was campaigning for the U.S. senate, to visit Rochelle.

Obama had been the keynote speaker for the Democratic Convention in Chicago. As a campaign worker and chairman of the Ogle County Democrats, Colbert did her magic.

“I arranged the gazebo. Barack and Michelle, Dick and Loretta Durbin came on that Monday morning here. There was about 400 people there in the gazebo and into the parking lot,” Colbert said. “I’ve been a big fan of his ever since. I was flying high when that was over with.”

Colbert went on to campaign during Obama’s political run for President, traveling to Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin going door-to-door. She also went to Obama’s inauguration and was on the ballot that year to be a delegate at the convention.

Recently Colbert sat down with Ogle County editor Brad Jennings to discuss being the only Democrat on the county board. She admitted being teased about being the only Democrat from other board members. Colbert also said the Democratic Party has been active in the county.

“It’s usually in good fun. I can take it and I can dish it out,” Colbert told Jennings. “We [the Democratic Party] hold monthly meetings and participate in every county parade. We’ve had a successful fundraiser every year. We campaign for our legislative candidates and attend democratic events in the area and in Springfield.”

Colbert said during her own campaign, she went door to door to ask for votes.

“I got in, and that was in 2002. Next November during the election I will finish 16 years [on the Ogle County board],” Colbert said. I never ever dreamed I would be in that long…I’ve just met so many good people in the county and I’m going to really miss it.”

Setting a strong foundation

Gardening is a hobby for Colbert — digging in the dirt is what she calls “therapy.” A member of the Rochelle Garden Club for over a decade, the love of gardening began when she was a little girl growing up in Iowa City as the oldest of five kids.

Walking down memory lane, Colbert happily shared the days of going to Grandma’s farm every Sunday where the family had a fried chicken dinner with vegetables and fruits fresh from the garden. Colbert spent much of her grade school and junior high years at the farm gathering eggs and milking cows.

“I did farmer stuff and I loved it. We lived in town and we had a huge garden, everything was raised and canned and we always butchered our meat in the country,” Colbert said. “That was the way it was back then. When I think of that now, what a wholesome life that was…I am so glad I got to witness that.”

As youngsters, Colbert and her sisters helped their mom. Helping with outdoor chores might have been the start of her love of gardening. Colbert’s mother also taught her to sew, which has been an asset especially when she worked at JC Penney’s sewing customized draperies.

“I took care of the garden and all of the lawn work and my sisters helped shuck peas and help mom can. I did a lot of the outside stuff and so did my mom. What a good, strong woman she was,” Colbert said. “I think looking back I always had gardening in me and didn’t even appreciate it or know how much I would enjoy it some day like I do now. That was my early life…and how it influenced my life as an adult.”

Adding, “You go back to your roots and realize how important those early lessons were.”

Colbert shared her fondest memories of childhood and how that strong foundation has led to what she enjoys in life. Although she has lived in a few different places in Iowa, Ohio, and Illinois, she has always made the best of it.

“Through it all, the most important thing is to be Joe’s wife, a coach’s wife, and a mother to five kids,” Colbert beamed.

She refers to a burlap hanging with a saying that most suits her, “bloom where you are planted.”

“I feel like I bloom where I am planted. That sticks in my life when I was home, wherever I have lived and whatever I have done, I just want to bloom where I’m planted…to be a part of the flower bed,” Colbert said. “I like four things: People, sunshine, chocolate, and Coca-Cola. Every day I have coke and chocolate. And I’ve been blessed with good health. I have loved the life I lived, and I am grateful.”