Robert Shutts was born on July 17, 1926, the third child of Maurice and Rose (King) Shutts. In 1942, at the age of 16, he left high school to work in the mines of nearby Lyon Mountain. According to a fellow miner, Robert worked as a "scraperman."

Just two years later, in November of 1944, Robert left the mines to join the U.S. Army in WWII. He served as a private in the basic infantry, then joined the 7th Cavalry Division in Japan as a military policeman. According to his army separation papers, his duty was as follows:

Served in the Pacific Theater Operations with the 106 Inf Regiment for 14 months. Guarded military property patroled (sic) roads and streets to kept (sic) order and to kept (sic) military personnel from entering off limits places. Guarded prisoners of war while working. Was responsible for prisoners while outside of stockade.

His service lasted until September 1946, when he was honorably discharged from the Army and returned to work in the mines. He worked for almost another 20 years, until 1965. His army discharge papers describe his duties as a miner:

Was employed by Republic Steel Corporation Lyon Mountain New York for 18 months. Worked in iron mines drilled holes with jackhammer placed dynamite into holes and set off charge. Broke up rock into small pieces so they could be loaded onto cars and haulled (sic) from mine helped build and re-enforce timber walls.

On February 3, 1948, Robert married Rita (Perreault) Bond, whose first husband, Kermit Bond, was killed while in Italy during WWII. In addition to Al, Rita's son from her first marriage, Robert was the father to nine more children.

On October 26, 1962, Robert gained local (and even regional) infamy for a mistake he made while deer-hunting . On a morning in which a light snowfall had decreased visibility, Robert fired two shots at what he thought was a deer. After hearing it fall, he approached his prey and realized that he'd shot a moose. Shocked, he notified the conservation department immediately. The moose weighed over 650 lbs., and was given to the White Fathers at Onchiota, an Adirondack historical organization.

Sadly, on April 6, 1965, Robert was killed while working in the mines. A large chunk of rock broke loose from the mine's ceiling above, killing him on impact. He was buried in St. Bernard's Cemetery of Lyon Mountain, NY, alongside his daughter, Jane, who'd died of leukemia in 1962.

Portrait of Robert Shutts	WWII U.S. Army Photo Billy Duckworth, Robert Shutts	Top Row: Robert, Roberta Bottom Row: Jim, Tom, John Shutts

Japanese Arisaka Rifle Brought Home From WWII by Robert Shutts (click on picture for description)

Newspaper Articles About Moose Shooting

Bull Moose Bagged, Mistaken for Deer By Merrill Hunter
Tupper Sportsmen Claim Moose Still Wandering in Area
Letter to the Editor
Hunter Spots Pair of Horns, Fires...But It's No Dear!
Deer Hunter Makes Mistake, Bags Moose
fishing & hunting, by Jerry Kenney

Other Documents

Robert Marvin Shutts Certificate of Baptism
Bureau of Mines Certificate of First-Aid Training
U.S. Army Honorable Discharge, page 1
U.S. Army Honorable Discharge, page 2
U.S. Army Separation Qualification Record, page 1
U.S. Army Separation Qualification Record, page 2
Robert Shutts Death Announcement, Chateaugay Record
Robert M. Shutts Register of Death
U.S. Army Honors the Memory of Robert M. Shutts
Newspaper Article About Jane Shutts' Last Christmas

Children of Robert Shutts and Rita Perreault

Albert Bond	1943-2001
Anne Marie Shutts	living
James Robert Shutts	living
John Bernard Shutts	living
Thomas Edward Shutts	living
Roberta Mary Shutts	living
Jane Alma Shutts	1959-1962
Donald Francis Shutts	living
Louis Lee Shutts	living
Margaret Jean Shutts	living