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Bob Asp started square dancing
when he was 8 years old with the Turtle Squares of
Oregon, Illinois. Bob’s parents had already been
dancing for several years. School sports,
especially basketball, and working part time at
Kable Printing in Mt. Morris took him away from
dancing. In addition, he spent three years in the
US Army, part of that time stationed in Germany.
With his first wife, Bob took
square dance lessons again in 1976 from caller Bill
Peacock. For the class graduation, Mr. Peacock gave
Bob a record and told him to practice and perform.
He must have done well, since many told him “you
should be a caller.” That first record was “The
Only Hell My Momma Ever Raised.”
Bob attended a caller school in
Omaha, NE, run by Harold Bausch and started Hub City
Squares in Rochelle, IL, in 1978. Bob helped start
the Panhandlers square dance club in Martinsburg,
West Virginia, and was the club caller for the
Gateway Swingers in Fredricksburg, Maryland.
In 1990, while attending the
Illinois State Square Dance Convention in Peoria,
IL, Bob met Cinda Rickey. They married in 1991.
Cinda started dancing at age 12
with Farmington Belles and Beaus in the Peoria area
where her parents lived and danced. She attended
her first National Square Dance Convention in 1966
in Indianapolis, IN. In and out of square dancing
for many years, she took lessons again in Decatur,
IL, with the Prairie Promenaders and danced as a
single for many years before meeting Bob.
Bob and Cinda honeymooned in
St. Lake City, Utah, at the 40th National Square
Dance Convention. Cinda’s parents attended as well
as lots of members from Sugar Squares, for which Bob
had recently become Club Caller.
They have five boys:
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Eddie Rickey, married to
Jeannie, lives outside Dallas, TX.
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Gerry Rickey lives in
Madison, WI, and just graduated from University
of Wisconsin.
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Gary Asp and Sarah, of
Dayton, OH, have three kids, Leia, Spencer, and
Nathan.
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Paul Asp and Gloria Posada
will be married in June. Gloria is bringing her
Lily into our family. Paul is in the Air Force
and is currently stationed in Omaha, NE. |
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Keith and Kari, married in
April, live in El Paso, TX. Keith is in the
Army.
Bob records for
Solid Gold Records and partners with Tom Manning
(producer/owner of Solid Gold Records) in Solid Gold
Sound, providing sound equipment for state
conventions and regional festivals.
Bob is involved in four major
square dance weekends:
Bob is a member of
Callerlab, the professional organization for
square dance callers. Cinda is the chair of the
Callerlab Grant Writing Committee.
With all the dancing and
calling and with each having full time jobs, Bob and
Cinda struggle to find time for their other
interests – riding their 1993 Harley – Davidson
Custom Softtail, golf for Bob, and sewing for Cinda. |
