JOHN A ROBINSON 1861-1934 and LILLIAN SALINTA WEISER 1863-1936, Webster Cemetery Hancock County Illinois

 

Page content last modified: November 11, 2006, added John Robinson's obituary.
October 21, 2006, added obituary and clippings.

WEBSTER   CEMETERY
HANCOCK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS

 

JOHN A. ROBINSON
June 23, 1861 - December 24, 1934
 
LILLIAN S. ROBINSON (nee WEISER)
September 4, 1863 - July 14, 1936

 

The Carthage Republican
December 1934

Death of John Robinson Monday At Webster Home

John A Robinson of Webster, died at his home Monday at 10:25 a. m., after a long decline in health, aged 73 years, 6 months and 1 day.  The funeral will be held in the Webster church Wednesday afternoon with burial at Webster cemetery.

Mr. Robinson's death occurred on the day before he and Mrs. Robinson would have passed the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage.  Friends of "Chat" will sympathize with her in the loss of this good husband.  An obituary wil be given in The Republican next week.

The Carthage Republican
January 2, 1935

Very impressive funeral services were held at the Webster church Wednsday [sic] afternoon for the late J. A. Robinson, who died at his home in Webster the day before Christmas, Dec. 24th.

The Rev. Fred Nichols of the Carthage Christian church conducted the services with great sympathy. The quartette rendered favorite songs, the singers being Mrs. Fanny Beebe, Mrs. Geo. Latherow, Arthur Spangler and Clem Duffie, with Mrs. Ethel Callihan at the organ.  Professor Hugh Alton sang a beautiful solo, accompanied by Miss Lucile Barb of LaHarpe.  The pall bearers were E. V. Lenix.  A. E. Shipman, J. A. Beebe, Burk Harman, J. O. Yetter, Lester Thompson.  The floral offerings were profuse and beautiful.

The sermon delivered by Mr. Nicols was very comforting.  In this sermon he spoke of the keen sorrow coming in the midst of the home festival Christmastide, at the hour of the fiftieth wedding anniversary, but said that Mrs. Robinson's (Chat's) fifty-four years of correspondence for The Republican had combined with her husband's friendly nature to build up a large friendship and acquaintance which was now pouring out to this devoted family a flood of sympathetic messages.

The following obituary was written by an old friend of the family, Mrs. Mollie Walker Barr:

Obituary.

John A. Robinson, a well and favorably known citizen, passed away at his home in Webster, Ill., on the morning of Dec. 24, 1934, aged 73 years, 6 months and 1 day.

Mr. Robinson's passing has greatly suddened [sic] this Christmas season for his family, his neighbors and his friends.  He had been blessed with a good degree of health and strength, until some two years ago when a decline began that soon gave evidence of an internal trouble which from its inception, brought great anxiety and concern to his loved ones, who have left no effort untried that might bring about the hoped-for healing.  A hospital stay, medical aid, surgeon's skill and the most devoted care, have all been enlisted to relieve and restore.

For a time an improvement seemed to promise a return to health and strength.  But increasing weakness soon became evident.  Intense suffering has filled these later months, yet with a courage and good cheer that never failed, nor faltered, he battled bravely to the last.

John A. Robinson was born near Webster, Ill., June 23, 1861, the son of Marion and Martha (Mosley) Robinson, favorably known residents of this community, the surviving members of whose family are, Homer Robinson, of Colchester; Mrs. Mamie Pennock of Dallas City; Ernest and Mrs. Myrtle Houtchens of Carthage.

Fifty years ago this Christmas, Mr. Robinson was united in marriage to Lillian Weiser of Fountain Green, Ill., and they founded their home in that community.  Three children have brought great comfort and blessing into their hearts and lives, and remaining today, with the bereft wife, are, Chesleigh, of Warsaw; Harry, of Tulsa, Okla., and Mrs. Ava Kirby, of Dallas City.  There are also six grandchildren.

As these good people mourn the great loss which has come to them, their grief is shared by many relatives and friends who sorrow with them.

Mr. Robinson engaged in the grocery business in his home town, which he caried [sic] on successfully for some years.  He later moved to Dallas City, where he continued in the same vocation.  But as his father and mother needed help and companionship, the family returned to the parental rooftree, where they have since resided.  He and his good wife, Lillian, brought comfort and care to these declining loved ones, until they passed to their rewards.  He afterwards followed farming, until failing strength called for a suspension of his labors, and much to his regret compelled him to discontinue life's busy activities.

Mr. Robinson will be remembered as a man of genial and jovial nature, a most dependable and obliging neighbor, every ready to respond with kindly aid in any time of need.  A man honorable and upright in all his dealings.  A man devoted to his family, and he passes on leaving a memory which must comfort their hearts.  May they also know that in their grief today they have the sincere sympathy of a multitude of friends.

Mr. Robinson expressed his belief in the justice and mercy of God, into whose hands we commit his spirit with the full assurance that the Judge of all the earth will do right. M. W. B.



The Carthage Republican
July 15, 1936
Contributed by Cora R. Swift

Mrs. J. A. Robinson, formerly of the Webster vicinity, died at the home of her son, Harry G. Robinson, in Tulsa, Okla., Tuesday, July 14, 1936. The body will arrive in Dallas City this Wednesday evening and will rest at The Elms in

Carthage, whence it will be conveyed to the Webster church for services Thursday morning at ten o'clock a. m., to be followed by burial in Webster cemetery.  The services will be conducted by Rev. J. M. Thompson of Warsaw.

That quiet streams run deepest is true also of lives whose simple chronicle denotes the quiet stability and usefulness of the friendly trees.

Very brief is the chronology of Mrs. John A. Robinson.

Lilla Salinta, the daughter of Solomon and Mary A. (Miller) Weiser, was born near Sunbury, Northumberland county, Pa., September 4th, 1863.  The parents were also natives of that county.

The great grandfather, Conrad Weiser, was an early resident of Pennsylvania, residing near Philadelphia.  He was a warm personal friend of George Washington, and served as a colonel in the Revolutionary War.  Solomon was eighth in a family of nine children, and was educated at the high school at Gettysburg, Pa., later becoming a farmer of extensive holdings.  He sold out there and moved to Hancock county, Illinois, in 1872, locating near Fountain Green.

Lilla was nine years old when her parents located in the county and six years later began teaching school, in this county.  Her first school was the Tarman school near LaHarpe.  She taught continuously from that time until sometime after her marriage.

On Christmas day, 1884, a very happy courtship culminated in her marriage to John A. Robinson, of Webster.  Their home was thereafter in the vicinity of Webster.  There she entered happily and generously into the life of the community.  Aside from teaching school and rearing her little family, she was devoted to the Webster church and Sunday school.  Many of the citizens who now bear the burden of civic and church duties in this community and some who have gone far afield, hold her in grateful remembrance for the wholesome guidance this Christian woman gave them.

From the time she began teaching school, she began sending news letters from her community to the Carthage Republican under the pseudonym of "Chatterbox," which was later abbreviated to "Chat". Under this name she was lovingly known far and wide, and in her lifetime received letters from all over the Union addressed simply to "Chat", Webster, Illinois. She kept up this correspondence faithfully until two years ago, when her health failed and she reluctantly retired, much to the regret of all.

To the happy marriage were born three children, Chesleigh Robinson of Warsaw; Ava R. Kirby, of Macomb; and Harry Gaylord Robinson, of Tulsa, Okla.  There also survive one brother, L. M. Weiser, of Fountain Green, and the following grandchildren, Lloyd and Lowell Robinson, Elmo Kirby, Eugene, Richard John and Joan Louise Robinson, and a great grandchild, Lloyd Franklin Robinson, Jr.

On Christmas eve, Dec. 24, 1934, Mr. Robinson died the day before their fiftieth marriage anniversary, an anniversary which was planned for special attention by his devoted family had he lived.

In her various activities as wife, mother, neighbor, school teacher, church worker and faithful friend, her life flowed on serenely, in unfaltering loyalty to friendship and Christian duty.  She passes to her reward untroubled as "one who wraps the mantle of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams."

"Friend after friend departs; and in the sky
Which larger grows as life moves swiftly by.
Star after star appears to light the way
Through darkening night into the endless day.
What souls I've known, who gave, from earth set free,
Their starry light to swell heaven's brilliancy,
Our loss their gain, our night eternal morn,
For them who journey on with lives new born."

See also: Marion Robinson & Martha Jane Mosley
Solomon Weiser & Mary Miller
Chesleigh W. Robinson
The News of Ft. Green

 

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