Bertha May <I>Dray</I> Robinson

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Bertha May Dray Robinson

Birth
Farmington, Van Buren County, Iowa, USA
Death
23 Mar 1959 (aged 72)
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Burial
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Memorial ID
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Bertha is a grandmother I never really knew but I certainly know a lot about her - she was born and raised in Iowa and as a young woman she met and married William Alexander. William worked on the railroad and was gone long periods of time, this marriage was not a good one and did not last. William left Bertha with nine children to support on her own and she worked very hard to do so. In her worn out blue coat, in the cold Iowa winter, she could be seen collecting laundry to wash to help support her family. She also cooked in hospitals and did other jobs to try to make ends meet. Those of us lucky enough to be her grandchildren grew up on her chicken and noodles - or in our house beef and noodles recipe which was passed down to our parents. Bertha married a second time to Luther Robinson. He also turned out to be a poor choice and this was a brief marriage. She had one son by him also.

In her lifetime Bertha experienced things that no mother should ever have to experience. She lost a baby at birth, had a teenage daughter killed in a tragic gun accident, the worry of a missing son and lived in poverty. The amazing thing about it was that through it all, she was not whipped - this lady had spunk! Bertha managed to raise 10 children and the 9 that grew up were good, decent people. A few may have been a bit spirited from time to time - but they were still fine. Bertha could be proud of them. That is the greatest tribute that can be given to any mother. Though her ten children are all gone now, she lives on in her many grandchildren.
Bertha is a grandmother I never really knew but I certainly know a lot about her - she was born and raised in Iowa and as a young woman she met and married William Alexander. William worked on the railroad and was gone long periods of time, this marriage was not a good one and did not last. William left Bertha with nine children to support on her own and she worked very hard to do so. In her worn out blue coat, in the cold Iowa winter, she could be seen collecting laundry to wash to help support her family. She also cooked in hospitals and did other jobs to try to make ends meet. Those of us lucky enough to be her grandchildren grew up on her chicken and noodles - or in our house beef and noodles recipe which was passed down to our parents. Bertha married a second time to Luther Robinson. He also turned out to be a poor choice and this was a brief marriage. She had one son by him also.

In her lifetime Bertha experienced things that no mother should ever have to experience. She lost a baby at birth, had a teenage daughter killed in a tragic gun accident, the worry of a missing son and lived in poverty. The amazing thing about it was that through it all, she was not whipped - this lady had spunk! Bertha managed to raise 10 children and the 9 that grew up were good, decent people. A few may have been a bit spirited from time to time - but they were still fine. Bertha could be proud of them. That is the greatest tribute that can be given to any mother. Though her ten children are all gone now, she lives on in her many grandchildren.

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