Sabine-Natchitoches County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Robinson, Daniel Andrew May 8, 1954 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Greg deValcourt devalcourtgreg and Ginny Tobin ginnygal@wnonline.net July 3, 2008, 6:07 pm deValcourt family files, May 15, 1954 Daniel Andrew Robinson Passes Away; Requiem Mass at St. John's Church Funeral services were held Monday morning for Daniel Andrew Robinson at St. John's Catholic Church, where a requiem mass was sung for the repose of the soul. Rev. M. R. Gremillion was celebrant of the requiem mass. Monsignor John Vandegaer, a native of Many, and a near friend of the family, now pastor of Holy Trinity Church of Shreveport, delivered the sermon. St. John's choir sang the requiem mass. Monsignor Vandegaer rendered a most beautiful solo in Gregorian chant. Surviving are 11 children, six sons, Will, Coda, Paul and Simon of Many; Roy of Houston, and Rolla of Fisher; five daughters, Mrs. Perlie Springer, Mrs. Leattie Davis, and Mrs. Agnes Schroder of Many, Mrs. Mary Winbery of Houston, Mrs. Beatrice Ashley of Beaumont, 24 grandchildren, 47 great-grand- children, and three great-great-grand -children, and several nieces and nephews. Pallbearers were J. J. Blake, J. B. Vandegaer, Mack Abington, T. M. Phillips, Norman Curtis, and Cleve Hubley. Honorary pallbearers were all friends of the family. Interment was in St. John's cemetery under the direction of Warren Funeral Home. Mr. Robinson, who would have been 93 years of age on June 14, passed away Saturday at 3:15 p.m. at the family residence after an illness of about six months. Uncle Dan, as he was known by his many friends, was born June 14, 1861, in Natchitoches parish. At the age of two years, his father passed away, leaving him, his mother, one sister, one half-brother, and one half- sister. The early years of his life were spent attending the short terms of yearly school and helping to provide for the family. At the age of 10 years, he was known to have driven two yoke of oxen from his home to Cloutiersville to dispose of farm products to provide for a livelihood for his family. Nov. 13, 1884, Mr. Robinson was married to Melissa Caledonia Taylor, There were 11 children born to their union. During his boyhood days, and early married life, his only means of attending church was to go by wagon to Cluotierville. As the family increased, this became very difficult. He then consulted the priest about coming to his home to say mass, which he did a number of times. Soon, this became more or less inconvenient, so Mr. Robinson, himself, financed and erected a small Catholic church in which services were held once a month by the priest from Bayou Pierre. His oldest grandson was baptised in this little church. School Facilities were not like he wished them to be, so he decided to move his family to Many. On Jan. 15, 1907, he, his wife, their nine children and his mother, departed from this old homestead, arriving in Many two days later, where he settled on the place that he had purchased from Sheriff W. T. Cranford. Here, two of his 11 children were born. His first few years in Many, were spent in farming and cattle raising. As his cattle industry began to grow, he purchased two other farms, now known as the Adam Key Brahaman Ranch and the Floyd Alford Stock Farm. Mr. Robinson was a very active member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and had a great interest in the welfare of St. John's School, where each of the 11 children completed their grammar and high school education. The love and esteem was attested by the profuse floral offerings. Mr. Robinson will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. Those from out-of-town attending the funeral were: Monsignor John C. Vandegaer of Shreveport; Mr. and Mrs. Rurel Boswell and children, and Mr. and Mrs. Tom Key of Natchitoches; Mrs. Ida Turner and Mrs. Lettie Flynn of Provencal; Mr. and Mrs. Doss Key, Mr. and Mrs. Clark Mathis and children, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Creech and Mrs. L. C. Ashley of Mansfield; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Springer and children of Pollock; Mrs. Geneva Mayeux of Alexandria; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Taylor and mother of Center, Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Francis Davis and children of Freeport, Texas; Andrew Davis of Fort Worth; Mr. and Mrs. Gene Ross and family, Mrs. Bill Trosclair, Mr. Bennie Robinson and Francis Robinson of Beaumont; Roland Robinson of Baton Rouge; Mrs. C. A. Quillen and Jane, Miss Jamye Foley, Miss Maggie Kay, Mr. A. R. Poland, Mr. H. C. Rosenberger, Mr. R. M. Tanehill and Mr. R. S. Salter, Mrs. E. Campbell and Mrs. Elton Anderson of Fisher. Notes: Mr. Robinson is buried at St. John’s cemetery Row 18, Number 17. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rolen Rowland Robinson and Bridget Delia (Day) Robinson. A check in Bob Robinson’s possession showed Dan Robinson purchased 80 acres of land from T. J. Cranford for $1000. The check was from the Sabine Valley Bank of Many, LA and was written on 10/06/1906 and stamped paid on 10/08/1906. N ½ of NW 4th of section 26 T7 R 11 LA Additional Comments: Daniel Andrew Robinson Daniel Andrew Robinson, second child of Bridget [Tobin] and Rolen Robinson, and Bridget's third child, was born June 14, 1861. Bridget and Rolen were in Natchitoches Parish by that time and living, I believe, in the Cloutierville area. Later the family moved to Kisatchie where young Dan grew up. He was almost exactly ten years younger than his half-brother John William Tobin who was born June 25, 1851. John was probably a father-figure to Dan because Rolen died when he was four years old. On November 13, 1884, Daniel married Melissa Caldonia Taylor, daughter of Kennon Taylor and Melissa Montgomery. They were married by the Justice of the Peace, S. G. Dowden. More than likely they were married before the Justice of the Peace because the nearest Catholic Church was in Cloutierville, which was quite a trip by wagon. They were devout Catholics and I am sure had their marriage blessed when the priest came around. Bridget would have seen to that no doubt. She was very strong in her religion and even after the family moved to Many, and she was old and physically weak, she would stay with the Vandegaer family on Saturday nights in order to attend Mass on Sunday morning. It was difficult for the family to get to Mass at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cloutierville, and the priest would come at least once a month and hold services in Dan's home. After a time this was not a very comfortable arrangement so Dan built a small church down the road from his home and the priest would hold services there for the Catholic families of the area. In 1908 Dan moved his family to Many, Louisiana, and eventually the little church was abondoned and sold. Two residents of Kisatchie, Dewey Springer and Tuck Ford bought the building and used the lumber to make additions to their houses. Mrs. Amon Downden (whose husband was a great- grandson of Bridget's) said that after the church was abandoned the people who lived around it would often see lights in or around the building at night. The men would investigate but never found anyone around the building. She said the heavy velvet curtains and altar and "all that pretty furniture" was left in the church but she didn't know what happened to all of it. John William Tobin sold his land near Kisatchie in 1905 and moved to Natchitoches. Bridget was still living in her little house on the banks of Kisatchie Creek, but later she was not really able to stay alone and Dan wanted her to move in with his family. She was evidently a very independent person and she wanted her own place. It was then that Dan moved her into a little house just down the lane from his house, where she could have her own place but he saw to it that his daughter Pearlie stayed with her grandmother at night. Bridget and Pearlie became very close and from the letters she wrote, she missed Pearlie very much after the family moved to Many, and Pearlie was married with a family of her own. She was so tiny and frail when they moved they had to put a block of wood down for her to climb up into the wagon. Daniel lived to the ripe old age of ninety-three. He was a respected member of the community. 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