Joseph ROBINSON

ROBINSON, DUNLAP, HORNE, ANDREWS, TEDFORD

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/28/2010 at 23:59:17

Ringgold Record
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
November, 1912

OBITUARY

Joseph ROBINSON, a well known and highly respected farmer of Ringgold County, died at his home about 4 miles north of our city [Mount Ayr] Wednesday morning, Nov. 20, 1912 of heart failure caused by a nervous break down and old age, his health having steadily declined since the death of his wife Aug. 31, 1907. He was patient and uncomplaining during the entire period of his illness.

His funeral was held from the home this afternoon at 1 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Wm. Edwin DARROW, his pastor, assisted by Rev. J. B. CASH of Grant City Mo. Interment in Rose Hill Cemetery [Mount Ayr].

Mr. ROBINSON was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, Aug, 17, 1835, of Robert and Jane ROBINSON. Soon after his birth his parents moved with him to America and lived in Canada 2 years, then returning to Ireland. June 15, 1858, he sailed from Liverpool to America and settled in Washington Co. New York, living there 9 years. In 1861 he removed to Wisconsin where he stayed until the fall of 1864, then removing to Ringgold Co. In the spring of 1865 he came to the farm on which he lived until his death. In 1858 he married Sarah DUNLAP, from the same County in Ireland as himself but living in Washington County, New York at the time of their marriage. Of this union there were seven children: Hiram S., Charles H., Ida J. (deceased), John D, Minnie L., Margart J., and Mrs. J. O. HORNE.

When about 50 years of age he united with Mt. Ayr Baptist Church, Rev. P. ANDREWS then pastor, of which he continued a faithful and devoted member until his death.

He had five brothers and one sister. One brother residing in England survives him.

* * * * * *

Ringgold News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Tuesday, November 26, 1912

OBITUARY

By J. H. TEDFORD

Joeph ROBINSON passed away after a long illness at his home in Washington township on November 20, 1912, at the ripe age of 77 years, 3 months and 3 days. This writer assumes the privilege of speaking particularly of Mr. ROBINSON for reasons herein stated. An incidental and intimate acquaintance with him led by gradual steps to a warm friendship and admiration for his life and character. He came of the plain people, like all of us, and belonged to the average class of men, who have risen above the ordinary surroundings and became an honorable and useful citizen. His life needs no apologies or padding. It has been ever an open book. He met the usual obstacles and trials of life and overcame them by courage and diligence and reached an excellence in his lines of life, which has been pleasing to all and satisfactory to all fair judgments. In many respects he was a fine example and the effects and influences of his example should be caught in the passing days and in some measure perpetuated in the minds of his generation.

Mr. ROBINSON and this writer went to the same "Paddanaiam," Washington county New York, to get our wives. We naturally felt that the Lord had commanded us go there for the greatest blessing of life, a good wife. The two women were strangely alike in many resepctes and became the warm friends of each other and the husbands were mutually drawn to each other by a similarity of tastes and experiences in life. A mutual confidence ripened into a brotherly companionship. We became boom companions. Mr. ROBINSON was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, August 17, 1835, and was of the fine type of the men of that wonderful island. Like the most of his class, he has left "footprints on the sands of time that another seeing may take heart again."

First, he is a good example as a boy. In his youth, home education and home training was thought a matter of great importance. it was presumed that in the home and by the fireside that the foundation of life and the best living was laid. In the Scotch-Irish home there was "line upon line and precept upon precept" and the seed grew into manly men and womanly women. The national herat is always found in the individual homes. Out of the homes are the issues of national life. We talk of Institutions, policies and state craft and imagine that we are touching and teaching grand realities and vitalities, and yet after all, it is the home life that ever flows and carries us along on its irrestistible tide. In his "Cotter," Robert BURNS says:

"From scenes like this old Soctia's grandeur springs
That Makes her love'd at home and never'd abroad."

Second, as a young man in a new world, Joseph ROBINSON was a good example. In the parental home he had been taught implicit obedience, a primal and most important lesson, obedience to God, obedience to parents, to teachers and to civil authorities. To this teaching he yielded an unquestioning obedience and realized the reverrent fact that God saw him ad had commanded him and that he owed obedience. Purity was taught as essential of a true life and to him the "scariest woman" was an abomination. Joseph was his pattern, "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God." We always seek the kind of company that we love. He loved good company and foun dit and under such influences grew strong in virtuous manhood. He was not robbed of purity, the crown and glory of true manhood, and hence with a good conscience he could face the world. He was early thrown on himself and grasped the ten commandments as the anchor of his life. He once assured me that he had avoided many civil society associations, lest he might be brought under the influence of bad companions and become tainted in life. He would not lead himself into temptation. Hence his habits were clean, his language pure and his life unblemished.

Third, as a man and farmer, Joseph ROBINSON was a noted example. Industry, honesty, ecomony and good common sense management were to him watch words and ingrained principles. He had the wisdom to choose a good wife, a real help mate. Here many men are made and unmade. The same is true of women. Hence, Dr. MILLER of Princeton said: "If you contemplate marriage, think and think and think." Mr. and Mrs. ROBINSON began life in a lowly cabin and grew by honest labors to affluence. it was all earned and hence really enjoyed. The six living children now arise and called them blessed. They transmit to these children imperishable blessings and an inheritance that fades not away. For the age of the world in which he lived, Joseph ROBINSON was an excellent famer, the greatest need of the times. he transformed the raw prairies into fruitful fields and caused them to bear bountiful harvests. he has been a blessing to his country for men are imitators. Had Ringgold county been filled with men of his wisdom and energy, it would be today a "garden of the Lord," full of richness and beauty.

The greatest need of our day is just such men. There is a wide open door for all of them. The other callings of life, the ministry, law, medicine and mechanical trades and teaching are full, crowded to the very doors, and the men and women are jostling against each other in the fierce competition of life, but the wide, wide world is before the farmer and he is called to lead and take possession. All useful callings are equally honorable. We mistake when we speak of "sacred and secular callings." If useful, needful and lawful, the callings are all equally sacred. Carlyle truly said: "Work is worshio." It is the highest attainment of life to be: "diligent in business, feverrent in spirit, servering the Lord." Today the world is calling to the farmer, saying: "Come over and help us." Presidents and kings live from the field. Demand is now greater than supply. The consumers now greatly outnumber the producers. Two men are now in waiting for the mouthful produced by the one man. Higher and better living has become therule and hence the cost of living has greatly increased. Good farmers alone solve the problem and bring to pass the happy poise of demand and supply. He is now like a king among men and the producer and dispenser of life's blessings. The young men of the generation are called by the loud voice of Providence to follow the foosteps of Joseph ROBINSON and to cause "the earth to bud and blossom as the rose." On this road there is independence, manliness and honor, as well as a broad and deep happiness.

Fourth, Joseph ROBINSON was a good example as a christian gentleman. he was a "living epistle" of the christian profession wherever he went. No one whose judgment is worth a thought, questioned the reality and sincerity of his profession. He did not make an open profession until middle life. You may thing that a strange fact. it was the result of his early teaching. In Scotland and Ireland it was presumed that a profession of faith in Christ should not be made until mature years and after much teaching and reflection. It was a good truth carried to an extreme and held back many from doing present duty. In our judgment Joseph ROBISNON had been a "hidden christian" long before he made a profession. he was a modest John long before he became a bold Peter. He was an (sic) humble man and it was long before he attained a personal assurance and a full confidence. Doubtless he regretted this delay but it was the result of reserved [illegible] rather than of inward opposition. He stepped into the christian life a full grown Christian and realized the graces of the spirit, peace, long suffering [illegible] goodness, faith. . .[last of article clipped].

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2010

Ringgold Obituaries maintained by Tony Mercer.
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