NINETY-NINE
YEARS AGO
The Life of Claude Dee Robbins
As told by his daughter Patricia Robbins Trewitt
On
March 29, 1898, on a farm in Coleman, Oklahoma, Johnson County, a baby boy was born.
He arrived on his mother's twenty-second birthday. A special gift, Sara wanted
to name this baby a special name. Charles and Sara Dee Robbins agreed to give
their new son his mother's maiden name. He was named CLAUDE DEE ROBBINS.
Claude
Dee was welcomed by an older brother, Clarence, born October 24,1893; a twin
sister and brother, Gertrude and Jerome, born September 15,1895; and a sister,
Mable, born April 22,1897. A year after Claude Dee's birth, Sara Jane gave
birth to another baby boy, Charles Ruben, born December 17,1899. On September
21,1901, William A. (Bill) was born. January 12,1903, Emmer E. came into the
world. Sidney R. joined the family on February 13,1904. Then Roy B. was born on
October 14,1905. Charles Robbins was a farmer. Having eight sons was a
blessing, but out of the ten children born to Charles and Sara Jane, only seven
lived to adulthood. Mabel died in 1903 at the age of six-years old. Emmer E.
died in 1904, lived one year. Roy B. lived eleven months. He died in September
1906. Gertrude also died at a young age. She died on her nineteen birthday in
the year 1914.
Six
boys survived: Clarence, Jerome, Claude Dee, Charles, Bill and Sidney. Six
rough and tough boys who grew up to be hard working family men. But even for
these guys, making it was not easy. Life was hard and they experienced
difficult times, especially Claude Dee. Their mother, Sara Jane, died in
February of 1906 at the age of thirty. At the time, she was expecting another
child. Sara Jane had gone to the barn to milk the cows. One of the cows kicked
her in the stomach. The injury soon abscessed. Sara Jane and her unborn child
died from the results. Claude Dee was fourteen-years-old at the time.
Charles
Robbins didn't waste anytime remarrying. He married a woman named Mary Dean
Soleman. They had a son, Fred D. Robbins. The boy died on January 16,1912, at
the age of six-years-old. In the same year Charles died on August l8, two days
after his fortieth birthday, leaving the boys and their sister, Gertrude,
orphans. Shortly after the death of Charles the children split up. Clarence,
Jerome and Claude went to live with Charles's second to the oldest brother,
James McNeil Robbins in Hugo, Oklahoma. Gertrude, Charles, Bill and Sidney went
with their Mother's parents to DeQueen, Arkansas to live.
Clarence,
Jerome and Claude Dee were not happy living with their Uncle Jim and Aunt
Martha. She was mean to them and treated them unfairly. She took their new
shoes and good clothes and gave them to her sons. Claude's Uncle Jim kept him
out of school to work the fields. And the three brothers were made to sleep on
the porch with nothing underneath them but thin blankets.
Clarence
was nineteen-years-old, old enough to leave and be on his own. He decided to do
so. He had heard the railroads were hiring at age nineteen. Jerome and Claude
begged to go with him, he wouldn't take them, but promised to send for them in
two or three years. After Clarence left Jerome and Claude decided they couldn't
take their Aunt's cruel treatment any longer. One night they ran away to go
join their sister and brothers in sequin, Arkansas. The country between Hugo
and De Queen was wild and untamed. It was a scary trip for two young lads
traveling by foot. They slept in trees, were too scared to sleep on the ground.
That adventure was told over and over again throughout their lives.
Clarence
kept his promise. In three years, he sent for his brothers but Jerome had
started farming and he was getting married. He had met a girl, Suzie McRee and
for her he was giving up his dream of working on the railroad. Claude was ready
and raring to go. The only problem - the hiring age was still nineteen. Claude
Dee was seventeen. He lied about his age and was hired by the M.K.T. Railroad
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One year after going to work for the railroad a
smallpox epidemic hit Oklahoma City. Another adversity for Claude Dee: he was
one of its victims. People were dying so fast bodies were piled in the streets
waiting to be buried. Clarence was told his eighteen-year-old brother was going
to die. He was told to find an isolated place and make Claude Dee comfortable
as possible. Clarence carried his younger brother to an empty shack behind the
roundhouse in the railroad yards and left him there to die.
Clarence
then hurried to the nearby cafe were he and Claude Dee ate most of the time.
There was a waitress working there that had taken a liking to Claude Dee. She
had expressed how she would love to have a son like him. She called Claude Dee
"the Kid".
The
waitress' name was Lenora. Clarence told Lenora what had happened to his
younger brother and where he had taken him. When Lenora got off work, she went
straight to the shack. She found Claude Dee unconscious. The smallpox had
broken out on the bottom of the young man's feet. The pain had been more that
he could endure. The caring woman hurried home and returned with a sharp knife
and other supplies she would be needing. Using rubbing alcohol she cleaned
Claude's feet then lanced the scores allowing them to drain. The whole while
she worked Claude Dee would come and go. She prayed he would stay unconscious
so he wouldn't have to feel the pain. After doctoring the scores and bandaging
his feet, Lenora covered him with the clean blanket she had brought.
Before
leaving, Lenora kneel down on her knees and prayed to God that he spear the
special young man's life. She returned everyday to nurse her patient. This
brave, selfless woman fought a hard battle to keep death from entering that
shack to claim the life of Claude Dee Robbins. It was God's will that Lenora
won.
After
Claude Dee recovered and realized the woman he thought he was dreaming about
was in reality Lenora he thanked her. He had no money, but promised to pay her
when he could. She shamed him for offering her money. 'Claude Dee, you thank
God. I ministered to you, but it was God who did the healing. Claude, friends
don't pay friends for helping them when they are in need,” she said. Claude Dee
never, never forgot that extraordinary woman. He spoke of her often throughout
his life.
On
March 7,1921, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Claude Dee Robbins married Eithel Bell
Matney. He took his new bride back to Oklahoma City where they began their life
together. Five years had passed since Claude had survived the smallpox. He
could now afford to buy his friend Lenora a wristwatch. He wanted Eithel to
help him pick it out and go with him to give it to Lenora. Claude Dee wanted
his new bride to meet the woman who had saved his life and he wanted his dear
friend Lenora to meet his wife.
Claude
was lucky to have Eithel for a wife. She was just what he needed. A gentle,
quite spirited, kind, loving and a very understanding woman. Eithel felt a
deep sense of empathy for Claude Dee, knowing he had been left an orphan and didn't
get to go to school pass the fourth grade. When he told her how embarrassed he
felt over not being able to read she didn't waste anytime correcting that
problem. Eithel could see how intelligent and special her husband was and
wanted him to feel good about himself. In the privacy of their home, Eithel
taught Claude Dee to read by using the BIBLE and the daily newspaper. He was
fast to learn, but Claude didn't only learn how to read, he learned the truth
about what a Christian is and what the BIBLE teaches on becoming one. For what
his teacher had taught him Claude was forever grateful. He bragged on his
teacher and let others know how much he adored her.
With
that problem behind him, Claude Dee was ready to set the world on fire. Eithel
would tease him of being cocky, but she knew what he felt was a healthy belief
in himself. Through out their life together Eithel was proud of her husband for
sharing his confidence with others and encouraging folks when they were down
and out. This special quality Claude Dee had was something that couldn't be
bought or acquired through education. Some folks called it X-plus, others said
it was class, but what ever it was, Eithel knew her Claude had it.
Claude
and Eithel started their family while living in Oklahoma City. On January
14,1922 Eithel gave birth to their first child. A little girl they named
Virginia Dell Robbins. On August 17,1923 they had another little girl. She was
named Leona Dale Robbins. In the Spring of 1925 the railroad laid Claude off
for an indefinite amount of time. During this lay-off time Claude took his wife
and two girls to Madill, Oklahoma to stay with Eithel's oldest sister and her
family. Claude worked on their farm helping his brother-in-law put out the
spring crops. Eithel was eight and a half months pregnant at the time. She gave
birth to their third little girl in Sam and Mamie Kirby's farm house aided by a
mid-wife. Imogene Francis Robbins was born on April 20,1925 in Madill, Oklahoma
When
Claude Dee was recalled back to work on the railroad he was transferred to
Muskogee, Oklahoma. On July 26,1928, Eithel gave birth to another little girl.
She was named Charlotte Ann Robbins. Then it happened: on October 24,1930,
Claude Dee and Eithel had a baby boy. To have the same initials as his father
they named him Claude David Robbins. Every employee on the M.K.T. Railroad
heard the news in a manner of days. Ol’ Claude Dee and wife had a boy. ‘Claude
has himself a son’ was the talk. Now Claude Dee was truly cocky. But once again
adversity struck
Claude
Dee knew, because of the stock market crash a year earlier, and because of his
lack of seniority he could be laid off again. He was right. The railroad once
again laid Claude off for an indefinite amount of time. The big depression had
hit hard all over the world. Claude Dee being the kind of man he was, a man
that loved life and wasn't afraid of a challenge, didn't waste anytime going
back to Oklahoma City to look for a job. He found one too, went to work for the
Oklahoma Highway Department. Later he learned Southside Dairy was hiring. They
hired Claude to deliver milk door to door for a dollar a day. Claude moved his
family back to Oklahoma City and took on his new job with zeal.
Making
friends came easy for this Oklahoma country boy. He loved people and wasn't shy
about showing it. Folks grew to love this good man back. It didn't take folks
long to learn he was honest, kind and caring. One friend put it like this,
"Claude Dee is like a fine piece of pottery; you can hold it up to the
light and you won't see any cracks filled with wax." All the friends
Claude Dee made on any of his jobs were friends for life. They loved the way he
whistled while he worked. One man said, "Claude's heart is so filled with
joy he can't contain it." Another friend said, "A noticeable
characteristic of Claude's is the way he walks. Watching him walk makes me feel
like all is going to be okay in this old world. He walks like a man going
somewhere and has no doubts he is going to get there."
In
1934,while still living in Oklahoma City and still working for the dairy, the
economy began to improve. Claude told his wife he believed it wouldn't be long
till the railroad would be calling him back to work. On October 1,1934, Eithel
gave birth to another little girl. This girl was named for Claude's dear friend
who had saved his life. The baby girl was named Lenora Bell Robbins. It took
longer than Claude had thought it would, but he was finally called
back to work on the railroad. In January of 1936 the M.K.T. transferred Claude
Dee to Parsons, Kansas. At the time of the move Eithel was pregnant with their
seventh child. Another baby girl joined the family shortly after the move. She
wasn't named until Eithel's twin sister came from Texas for a visit. Aunt Ethel
named the new baby girl PATRICIA ROBBINS.
Claude
Dee's oldest brother Clarence had married in 1923 and now had a family.
Clarence was also transferred to Parsons, Kansas. Rome and his family were
already living there. Rome had given up farming and had been hired to work for
the M.K.T. Railroad. Brothers three were together again. Those three brothers
had a bond between them stronger than oak wood. They fished together, played
horseshoes, croquet and dominoes. Life was good. Then World War II broke out
and everyone's life changed.
Claude
Dee, like Clarence was now an engineer. They were kept away from home for weeks
at a time pulling freight cars filled with war equipment and weapons. 'THIS TOO
SHALL PASS!' It took a long time in doing so and too many lives were lost, but
the war did end in the year 1945. Claude's oldest daughters had grown up, where
had time gone? Virginia having an I.Q. of a genius graduated from high school
at fifteen-years-old. She worked at several different jobs before going to work
in the M.K.T. offices in Parsons. When she turned eighteen-years-old she went
to Muskogee, Oklahoma and entered the nursing program at Muskogee General
Hospital.
Imogene
was next to leave home. She had been corresponding with a soldier she had meet on
the train one week-end. Eithel and Imogene had gone to Muskogee to visit
Virginia and when returning to Parsons Bill Christianson was on the same train.
At the time Imogene was finishing her junior year in high school. Bill lived in
Wisconsin so they started writing to one another. Fell in love through letters.
In a letter to Imogene just before Christmas, her senior year, Bill purposed
marriage. Imogene said, 'yes'! They married in April and Imogene finished her
senior year later in Wisconsin. Two girls were now gone. The Robbins household
was not the same.
After
Leona finished high school she went to work full time for Pfeiffer jewelry
store where she worked after school and on Saturdays during her junior and
senior years. Later she went to work for the M.K.T. offices as a comptometer
operator. Not everyone could run the high-speed machine like Leona could. She
was paid good money for her skill. When she had enough money saved, Leona
bought her own business: a grocery store with a meat market located on a corner
of Parsons' main street. She got all the railroad workers trade. Leona was a
successful business woman.
Virginia
met a soldier who was a patient in the Muskogee General Hospital. They married
and moved to Parsons. Leona hired James A. Burnett to be the butcher in the
meat market. Another soldier coming home from the war entered the picture. A
hometown boy, Earl O. Mears His father also was an engineer for the M.K.T.
Railroad. Earl wanted to stay in Parsons. He wanted to buy a business. He made Leona
an offer she couldn't refuse. Later they married.
Charlotte
Ann was given a scholarship to Layton School Of Art in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
when she graduated high school. That's where Bill and Imogene were living at
the time. James and Virginia had moved to Hutchinson, Kansas. Earl and Leona
had moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Shortly after Charlotte Ann left home,
Claude Dee was transferred once again to Muskogee, Oklahoma. David was
finishing his junior year in high school. He had to leave his friends and
finished his senior year in Muskogee. After graduation, David went to college.
At this time, Lenora was fourteen-years-old and Patricia was twelve-years-old.
The sisters had always shared a bedroom. Now at last they had their own rooms.
It was glorious.
Once
again life was good. Claude had a backyard large enough to plant the size
garden he had always dreamed of having. He had always been an avid gardener,
but never had had this much space before. Folks would drive by in the evenings
to gaze at Claude's master piece. If ever they couldn't find the youngest girl,
Patricia, all they had to do was look in the middle of the tomato patch. She
would be sitting there with the salt shaker in one hand and a large, plump,
juicy, sun warmed tomato in the other hand. Eithel was kept busy canning the
fruits of Claude's labor. The girls did most of the gathering of the vegetables
and the cleaning of them. They washed a lot of jars and lids too.
When
Lenora was eight-years-old and Patricia was six-years-old, while still living
in Parsons, Kansas, Eithel had a hysterectomy. They removed seven tumors from
her uterus and after discovering they were cancer, she had to have the surgery.
She had a successful recovery and felt great. Then after moving back to
Muskogee and things were going so well, adversity raised its ugly head once
again. Eithel found a lump in her breast. The biopsy was positive. Claude's
teacher, the woman he adored, had breast cancer and the cancer had spread to
the lymph glands. Even more so in that period of time than now, the word cancer
was a scary word. Doctors knew little about this killer disease. After Eithel's
breast was removed the doctors treated her with radiation and she was burned
bad. The family stood back helpless
All they could do was pray and hope she gained back her health. This was
a stressful time for both Claude Dee and Eithel.
Back
when Claude Dee married and later was promoted to fireman on the railroad, the
engineer he worked with let Claude play around with the train whistle when they
were traveling. One of Claude's many talents was the ability to compose tunes
in his mind. He composed a tune using the train whistle that he called,
'Lonesome Boy.' This was done for Eithel. He told her he hated leaving her and
the girls and was always so happy to return home. So when the train was leaving
he played the tune low and it had a sad sound to it, but on returning home he
played it with a higher note and a faster happier sound. Eithel always knew it
was her Claude's train, coming or going.
On
October 20, 1950, a Sunday morning, Claude left early for work. He had a trip
to Parsons, Kansas and would be gone for a week. Eithel was in bed a lot of the
time now. Claude didn't like having to leave her and his two younger daughters
alone, but be had to make a living. On this Sunday morning when Eithel and the
girls heard Claude's train leaving Muskogee, Eithel made this remark,
"Somehow Claude's whistle sounds different this morning." The girls
hadn't noticed.
Since Eithel had become so ill, Lenora and Patricia had
started taking turns staying home with their Mother on Sunday mornings when
their Father was out of town. On this Sunday morning it was Patricia who stayed
with her Mother while Lenora went to Bible class and the worship service.
Claude
Dee was hardly out of the city limits when the call boy received a call from
Claude on his locomotive phone. The call boy quickly hung up the phone and
announced to the men sitting around the office that the call was from Claude.
He said he was returning to the yards. Didn't say why, but for Claude Dee
Robbins to bring his train back it has to be something serious.” A huge,
broad-shouldered man named Bob ? jumped to his feet. Bob was another engineer
who had just returned from a trip. He was one of Claude's best friends. This
man ran out of the office and headed for the track that Claude would be
returning on. Bob watched as his friend Claude Dee backed his train into place
and brought the mighty piece of steel to a stand still. Claude shut down the power
then slowly moved to the doorway. Holding tightly to the side bars he looked
down into Bob9s face and said, "Bob, I'm in a bad way."
Then the tough, self-willed Claude Dee Robbins tumbled down into the waiting
arms of his friend. Claude had passed out. Bob, carrying Claude over his
shoulder, rushed to his car and took him to the Muskogee General Hospital.
Bob
left the hospital and hurried to Claude's house to get Eithel and the girls.
They had to go by the church building first to get Lenora then on to the
hospital. On the way Bob tried to prepare Eithel and the girls for what was
ahead of them. He told them the beads of sweat on Claude’s forehead were the
size of quarters. "The overall picture looks grim," he said.
After
arriving at the hospital and while the doctors were visiting with her Mother,
Patricia slipped down the hall to peek into her Father's room. He looked so
pale. Tubes were running from his body. He lay so still and lifeless. Patricia
noticed a puddle of water in the middle of the floor. She followed the stream
and discovered it was coming from underneath the closed closet door where her
Father's clothes had been hung. She then remembered what Bob had said about the
beads of sweat. She shivered from the fear she felt for her Father. Patricia
had never, never seen her happy, strong, brave hero down before, never.
"Please, God, " she whispered, “don't let my Dad
die."
Eithel
was also frightened for Claude Dee. She inquired if there was a private area
where she and the girls could go. After pulling the curtains closed to the
waiting area, Eithel got to her knees and went to her Heavenly Father in
prayer. She pleaded for Claude's life to be spared. She reasoned with God that
the girls would need their Father. She knew the cancer would take her life
before long. She also knew Claude's condition could be healed if it was God's
will. Patricia noticed how her Mother had no doubt in her voice that God would
handle her request in what way would be best for them all. Claude returned from
the deep, deep place he had been for over three days and nights. The doctors
said it was a miracle. Patricia knew it was an answer to her Mother's prayer.
Claude
would be three months in healing, so when he was strong enough he was taken by train
to the M.K.T Railroad hospital located in Denison, Texas. But three weeks
before he left Eithel had to be admitted to the hospital. Claude was on the
first floor; Eithel was put on the second floor. The doctors allowed the nurses
to bring Eithel to Claude's room once a day to visit. Sometimes they had their
meals together.
During
this period of time, while both Claude Dee and Eithel were in the hospital,
Patricia would go to visit them everyday. She would get out of school, hurry
home, do her homework then hurry to catch the city bus and go to the hospital.
Patricia stayed till it was getting dark then she would go out in front of the
hospital and catch the bus home. One evening while waiting for the bus a black
woman dressed in a white uniform came from the hospital and sat down beside
Patricia on the bench. It wasn't long till the two were visiting. The black
woman told the young girl about a couple that she had just left. They are
husband and wife and both are in the hospital. Wonderful folks, the lady said.
Patricia asked the lady if she was a nurse. No, the woman replied, she told
Patricia she worked in the kitchen and served the supper trays. The black woman
explained she had just served this couples supper to them before leaving. The
man is getting over a bad heart attack and is going to be fine, but that sweet,
dear woman has cancer and is going to die. Makes me so sad, she went on to say.
"They are wonderful folks for sure," she said, shaking her head.
Patricia
had fell silent. When the woman noticed she apologized for rattling on so.
"What's a young girl like you doing out after dark by yourself?" she
asked. "I come everyday to visit my parents. They are both in the
hospital." Patricia explained. The black woman let out a gasp.
"What's your name, child?" the woman cried. "Patsy
Robbins." the girl replied. The woman let out another gasp. She moaned as
she told Patricia she could be fired for talking about what goes on the
hospital. "I know you talking about my parents," Patricia said,
"but you are wrong about my Mother, she will get well, too. You just wait
and see,” the girl said with confidence. The woman reached out, gathered
Patricia into her big, warm arms, and hugged her close to her big, warm heart.
"Oh, sweet child, I can see you're their daughter. You are so blessed to
be raised by those wonderful folks.” Patricia assured the kind woman she would
never repeat what she had told her about the couple. (Her parents.) Patricia
said she loved hearing all the nice things the woman said about her parents.
That stranger on the bench, who came into Patricia's life for such a short
while, made good memories that have been a comfort to Patricia throughout her
life.
When the bus
arrived Patricia allowed the kind woman to get aboard first. She watched as the
black woman dropped her coin in the coin collector. The woman then walked
slowly to the back of the bus and sat down. Before being seated, Patricia waved
to her. The woman smiled a big smile then turned her head to gaze out the
window. She didn't want to cause the young girl any grief by being too
friendly. The injustice bothered Patricia all her life. She never could understand
why black people were treated with such unrighteousness. Patricia had always
been an inquisitive child, always asking questions. When her Mother couldn't
answer her youngest daughter’s question she would simply say, "FARTHER
ALONG WE WILL KNOW ALL ABOUT IT. FARTHER ALONG WE WILL UNDERSTAND WHY!"
That never meant anything to Patricia until she was older; then she knew what
her mother meant by giving that for an answer.
Claude
Dee and Eithel Robbins weren't materially wealthy, but they made up for it in
LOVE. They truly loved their children. As Patricia grew older she realized more
and more what her parents had given her. Not only had they provided for her
physical needs, they had looked out for her soul and cared about where she
would spend eternity. Claude and Eithel Robbins taught their children to study
the BIBLE and to obey the LORD. Patricia loved her parents for what they were
and for just simply being what they were. They were real folks - no pretense,
loving, caring, giving and honest people.
Eithel
Bell Matney Robbins died on February 10, 1951, two days after Patricia's
fifteenth birthday. Patricia was devastated, but she still had her Father.
Claude Dee lived nine years longer after Eithel's death before the LORD called
him home on January 16,1960. He lived long enough to give his youngest daughter
Patricia in marriage to James C. Trewitt on March 27,1954. Those nine years
were good years for Patricia. She grew close to her precious Father and had
many hours of good times with him. He got to meet her first-born, Kathi, and
her second daughter, Tern. But it was sad he didn't get to know Patricia's son,
Gregory D. Trewitt. Claude Dee would have adored Greg like he did Kathi and
Terri.
I'm
so proud to say - I am the youngest daughter of Claude Dee and Eithel Robbins.
PATRICIA
© 1997
Clarence Robbins Family
Memoirs
Stephen Alva Van Cleave
Memoirs
Tales of the Van
Cleave Elders