Wilbur J Memories
by Dora Robinson Stewart, youngest sister
There are not words to describe my love for my “Libur”. Could not say my “W’s” for many years so it was always “Libur and Lima”.
This is how I remember the story being told to me as to how Wilbur and I became so very close. Before I was born I was to be the “seventh son”. Well to everyone’s dismay not a 7th son but a 5th snotty nose baby daughter. Of course we could not have taken the honor of “baby boy” away from Fred. One day Wilbur came in, I was wet, crying, he picked me up, changed my diaper and fed me my bottle. From then on “I was his”. Neighbors had asked my parents at different times “where was Wilbur’s wife”. He had a daughter so he needed a wife. No not a daughter just “baby sister”. I do not remember when he left for WW2 but mom has talked of how I would not go to sleep at nights as he had rocked either me and/or my doll to sleep every night. I can remember writing a letter to him. Carney was helping me spell the words as I printed them. Wanted to tell Wilbur I went to Henry Behrens. He spelled “shit” not “went”. after finishing the letter Carney read it to me, I threw my usual fit and tore the letter up. When he came home on leave, he was cutting wood for the house/cook and heating stoves. He told me to carry it in, I told him no, I could run from him, I could climb the hen house roof and he couldn’t get to me. Well when he finished, laid the ax down, I took off, took two steps only to find myself over his knee. I know it hurt him more than me. He and I then carried the wood to the house.
Wilbur came home from service and lived home until his marriage to a WONDERFUL LADY, Miss Leona. Oh how he and the Robinson family were blessed when he made that move. We got a beautiful young lady, Karen Lynn, right along with Leona.
I spent lot of time with them.
Wilbur would take his turn sitting nights with Dad the summer of 1955. The boys would work all day and set with dad at nights.
Wilbur was the Granddad in the boys lives. He took them fishing etc.
When Wilbur and Jack, young men, living at home, Wilma and I would awaken them each morning. me climbing onto Wilbur’s chest and Wilma on Jack’s. We would pry their eyelids open. man they had muscle strength in those lids, very tight to pry open. In the summer their beds would be out under the locus trees.
When I was in Nursing School, doing my operating room rotation, I packed up, put my stuff in my closet, my roommate didn’t even know I was packed. Called Fred to come get me, he came hoping to talking me into staying. Me ears were deaf. Fred took me home, Poor Wilbur talked and talked to me. He was in mom’s rocking chair, me on his lap, talking and talking. I finally said “Ok I will go back” I think just for him to shut up.
He took me, talked to the Director, as Saturday and then Sunday return no record made of my “take off”. Leona mentioned on more than one occasion his feeling bad, hope he had done the right thing and if I should come back home, he would let me be. Oh thank goodness he was such a smart man.
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