What started as a simple curiosity about a namesake—a Navy fighter pilot who died in World War II—turned into something far more profound for Bob. It began with an old file of documents and photos from his aunt, which led him to an extraordinary discovery: a 1922 land claim for 160 acres in the California desert near Palm Springs, signed by his grandparents.

As he stared at the brittle paper, a distant memory resurfaced. He remembered frequent desert trips with his father to check on "Grandma R's" property. This faint memory stirred a powerful curiosity in him. Where exactly was this land, and what had become of it? Why did his grandparents choose to homestead in such a harsh landscape?

The questions haunted him. How did they survive in a place with no municipal water or power, facing the constant struggle against thirst and the elements, especially with four young children to support? How long could they have possibly persevered?

For Bob, this wasn't just a family history project—it was a personal quest. He felt an undeniable pull to find his grandparents' homestead and to touch their headstone, connecting with a part of his past he never knew existed. His journey to find answers was about to begin.