Grt. Grandpa Lester Ernest Robison
Lester Ernest Robison was my paternal grt. grandpa. He was born in northern Missouri, near Browning, in Sullivan county, January 16, 1889. His father William was a millwright and farmer, and his mother Emma was a school teacher. Lester lived the normal life of a young boy of that time. Making friends, going to school, and working hard at farm chores, as well as riding horse and swimming in the local watering hole.
It is sometimes difficult to find out much of anything about an ancestor when doing research, so imagine my surprise when I came across an old newspaper article about my grt. grandpa Lester, and the day he became an unsung hero.
In the summer of 1905, when Lester was but a lad of sixteen,which would be about the time when these pictures were taken, (tho the one with the rifle may have been taken after they moved to Ripley Co., Missouri?!) He and three of his friends went to go swimming in Locust Creek, located not far from their homes in Linn co., Missouri. From here I will quote the newspaper article, as I found it in the Library of Congress Digital Newspaper Collection - Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO
The Laclede blade., Laclede, Linn County, Missouri Saturday, Jul 22, 1905, Img 1
Young Man Nearly Drowns.
W. R. Adams came near being drowned in Locust creek last Saturday. (Jul 15, 1905) He and Lester Robison and the two Pennoyer boys were in swimming and when he got beyond his depth he went under. This frightened him and when he came up he was unable to help himself and went down again. As he was going down the fifth time Lester Robison grabbed him by the hair and succeeded in getting him to the bank. He was unconscious, but after working with him for some time he was revived, although quite sick for several hours after.
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Further research revealed that the boy Lester saved was, Wilson Roy Adams. This young boy went on to become a very successful physician and surgeon. Dr. Adams lived for a time in Georgia, before moving out west to Medford, Oregon, and finally he passed away after a full life, 21 Apr 1954 in Solano co., California. Sadly I could find no photo of Dr. Adams online to share here.
The Pennoyer boys involved were, Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer aged fourteen, and his younger brother, Horace Pennoyer who was only seven. I could find no further information on Horace, but found some very interesting information on Ralph.
I add here what I found on Ralph from Find A Grave online, slightly edited.
Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer was born June 23, 1891 in Kansas. He died Mar 12, 1986 aged 94 at Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach City, Va. He was cremated and where is ashes are is unknown.
Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer was appointed to the US Naval Academy in 1909. (This was just four years after the near drowning of his friend, Wilson Adams. I wonder how much the incident had an impact on his life?) While there, he acquired the nickname of "Poodles" from his friends and football teammates. He was known for being very generous with his friends and treating them to dinner, shows, and other things, when they were on liberty. ...He was on the academy football team. His last year there, the team won every game, except for the one they cared about the most, against the Army!
According to navsource.org the above ship, the USS Drayton DD-366 was captained by Commander Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer from September 1, 1936, the first year of her launching, until September 1, 1938.
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The following year after this incident we find my grt. grandpa, at the age of seventeen, once again in the papers, but this time he is recorded thusly.
Library of Congress Digital Newspaper Collection
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri Oct 12, 1906, Image 2
The following pupils are attending our schools from the country, and we give the name of the school they are from and their post office addresses: Lester Robinson, Flora Tschudin, Katie Fagan, Belleview, Doniphan.
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri May 24, 1907, Image 3
Eighth Grade County Graduates
Following is a list of Eighth Grade or Grammar school students who will receive diploma's at the graduating exercises of the Ripley county public schools, to be held at the courthouse tomorrow afternoon commencing at 1 o'clock. The names of the schools from which they graduate and teachers thereof are also given... D.M. Robertson, Lester Robison, Westpoint.
[The old West Point school was located where the Hancock Cemetery now sits. It was known first as the Hancock School in the late 1800's, before redistricted as Barkadara, and renamed West Point by 1907. It no longer stands.] Lester graduated at the age of 18 from the 8th grade. A very common thing in that day.
My grt. grandma Nellie Mae Ponder.
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri Dec 18, 1908, Image 3
On the 16th, Wednesday last, at the residence of the bride's mother, on the Oxly road about two and a half miles east of town, Mr. Lester Robison to Miss Nellie Ponder, the ceremony being performed by Judge Lafrainer Harris.
Son, Gerald Dawson Robison b.Sep 25, 1909 Doniphan, Ripley Co., Missouri. He was born at the home of his grandparents, Mary "Mollie" Elizabeth Lowe & Holloway "Holly" Warren Ponder. On the Oxly road, Ripley Co., Missouri.
Here is Lester with his dog and pony show. Lester was very tall, being well over six foot.
He went on to become a railroad engineer. Here he is in his engineer overall's around 1910.
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri Nov 12, 1909, Image 2
Lester Robinson contemplates moving his family to the Bluff soon.
NOTE: This is referring to his moving his family from Doniphan to Poplar Bluff in Butler Co., Missouri. Which he did, as he appears in the 1910 census in that town. His son, my grandpa Gerald Dawson Robison was two months old at that time.
Lester worked out of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, & Southern Railway train station in Poplar Bluff, Butler co., Missouri. His house was just a few blocks away from the depot.
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri Aug 29, 1913, Image 3
The stork visited this locality recently and left a handsome baby girl with Mr. and Mrs. Lester Robinson, at Mrs. M. Ponders.
NOTE: This was at Mollie Ponders on Oxly road, as she was Nellie's mother, and my grt. grt. grandma. Both of the children were born at Mollie's as it was common practice at that time for daughter's to go home to their mothers to give birth to their children. At least it was in our family.
Sadly this story does not have a happy ending. Despite being a hero, and saving that young man from drowning, Lester would not live to see old age. He had moved his family, not long before his death to Inola, Rogers co., Oklahoma, to be near his parents who had bought a farm near Chelsea. He died in Inola on September 17, 1914 at the age of 25 years, due to complications from surgery to remove a large goiter from his neck and throat. He never knew that the man he saved went on to save many lives and live to a ripe old age.
It is sometimes difficult to find out much of anything about an ancestor when doing research, so imagine my surprise when I came across an old newspaper article about my grt. grandpa Lester, and the day he became an unsung hero.
The Laclede blade., Laclede, Linn County, Missouri Saturday, Jul 22, 1905, Img 1
Young Man Nearly Drowns.
W. R. Adams came near being drowned in Locust creek last Saturday. (Jul 15, 1905) He and Lester Robison and the two Pennoyer boys were in swimming and when he got beyond his depth he went under. This frightened him and when he came up he was unable to help himself and went down again. As he was going down the fifth time Lester Robison grabbed him by the hair and succeeded in getting him to the bank. He was unconscious, but after working with him for some time he was revived, although quite sick for several hours after.
******
Further research revealed that the boy Lester saved was, Wilson Roy Adams. This young boy went on to become a very successful physician and surgeon. Dr. Adams lived for a time in Georgia, before moving out west to Medford, Oregon, and finally he passed away after a full life, 21 Apr 1954 in Solano co., California. Sadly I could find no photo of Dr. Adams online to share here.
The Pennoyer boys involved were, Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer aged fourteen, and his younger brother, Horace Pennoyer who was only seven. I could find no further information on Horace, but found some very interesting information on Ralph.
This is a picture of Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer, it was taken when he was at the Naval Academy, a few years after his appointment to it in 1909.
By 1910 Ralph and Horace were no longer living in Linn county Missouri, but had moved with their family to Buck Prairie Township in Lawrence county, in southwestern Missouri. This county is situated between Joplin and Springfield, Missouri, far, far south of Linn.
I add here what I found on Ralph from Find A Grave online, slightly edited.
Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer was born June 23, 1891 in Kansas. He died Mar 12, 1986 aged 94 at Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach City, Va. He was cremated and where is ashes are is unknown.
Ralph Gilbert Pennoyer was appointed to the US Naval Academy in 1909. (This was just four years after the near drowning of his friend, Wilson Adams. I wonder how much the incident had an impact on his life?) While there, he acquired the nickname of "Poodles" from his friends and football teammates. He was known for being very generous with his friends and treating them to dinner, shows, and other things, when they were on liberty. ...He was on the academy football team. His last year there, the team won every game, except for the one they cared about the most, against the Army!
******
The following year after this incident we find my grt. grandpa, at the age of seventeen, once again in the papers, but this time he is recorded thusly.
Library of Congress Digital Newspaper Collection
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri Oct 12, 1906, Image 2
The following pupils are attending our schools from the country, and we give the name of the school they are from and their post office addresses: Lester Robinson, Flora Tschudin, Katie Fagan, Belleview, Doniphan.
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri May 24, 1907, Image 3
Eighth Grade County Graduates
Following is a list of Eighth Grade or Grammar school students who will receive diploma's at the graduating exercises of the Ripley county public schools, to be held at the courthouse tomorrow afternoon commencing at 1 o'clock. The names of the schools from which they graduate and teachers thereof are also given... D.M. Robertson, Lester Robison, Westpoint.
[The old West Point school was located where the Hancock Cemetery now sits. It was known first as the Hancock School in the late 1800's, before redistricted as Barkadara, and renamed West Point by 1907. It no longer stands.] Lester graduated at the age of 18 from the 8th grade. A very common thing in that day.
On the 16th, Wednesday last, at the residence of the bride's mother, on the Oxly road about two and a half miles east of town, Mr. Lester Robison to Miss Nellie Ponder, the ceremony being performed by Judge Lafrainer Harris.
Son, Gerald Dawson Robison b.Sep 25, 1909 Doniphan, Ripley Co., Missouri. He was born at the home of his grandparents, Mary "Mollie" Elizabeth Lowe & Holloway "Holly" Warren Ponder. On the Oxly road, Ripley Co., Missouri.
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri Nov 12, 1909, Image 2
Lester Robinson contemplates moving his family to the Bluff soon.
NOTE: This is referring to his moving his family from Doniphan to Poplar Bluff in Butler Co., Missouri. Which he did, as he appears in the 1910 census in that town. His son, my grandpa Gerald Dawson Robison was two months old at that time.
Ripley County Democrat Doniphan, Missouri Aug 29, 1913, Image 3
The stork visited this locality recently and left a handsome baby girl with Mr. and Mrs. Lester Robinson, at Mrs. M. Ponders.
NOTE: This was at Mollie Ponders on Oxly road, as she was Nellie's mother, and my grt. grt. grandma. Both of the children were born at Mollie's as it was common practice at that time for daughter's to go home to their mothers to give birth to their children. At least it was in our family.
Sadly this story does not have a happy ending. Despite being a hero, and saving that young man from drowning, Lester would not live to see old age. He had moved his family, not long before his death to Inola, Rogers co., Oklahoma, to be near his parents who had bought a farm near Chelsea. He died in Inola on September 17, 1914 at the age of 25 years, due to complications from surgery to remove a large goiter from his neck and throat. He never knew that the man he saved went on to save many lives and live to a ripe old age.
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Carla Robison/Boots Burres