Essie Quiene Robinson was born on the 16th of June 1905.
She was the ninth child of Gus and Docia Robinson. Unfortunately, Essie was born with several birth defects. Both of her hands were deformed as well as her left lower leg and foot. Even though she had to wear a leg and foot prosthetics all of her life, she matured into one of the most kindest, gentle and soft-spoken persons I ever knew. Always had a sense of humor and would drive, by car to visit friends and family.
As one would expect, growing up, her social life with the boys was not a positive experience. Because of this, a Methodist minister by the name of Charles Jefferson Riser, Sr. married her. (He was, at one time, married to Essie's older sister, Elizabeth "Bette" Robinson... who later died in 1926 in her early 40's). This was regarded as a, "Marriage of Convenience" and although there was kindness and love between the two, it was not the ideal relationship.
After Charles Jefferson Riser passed away ten years later in 1936, several years later, Essie met and married Louis E. Garrison in 1950. Louis became, "the love of her life" and they had a very happy and fulfilling marriage. Sadly, after only nine years of marriage, Louis also passed away.
Even though for the rest of her life... Essie remained single, she continued to always put forth a positive, kind attitude. Born with defects and shunned by others her age in her youth growing up in rural north Louisiana, her life was anything but kind and easy.
I personally remember meeting her several times in my youth at my grandparent's home in West Monroe.
She was alway, always very kind and thoughtful toward me. I never heard a loud or disrespectful word come from her.
She passed away in 1987 in Farmerville, Louisiana, which is the same area that her nephew, Charles Jefferson Riser, Jr. and his wife, Dorothy lived in.
The world needs more, "Aunt Essies."
Randolph "Al" Robinson