Robert Irwin ROBESON

Sources:

1880 Census Frankstown, Blair, Pennsylvania
Find a Grave
FamilySearch.org/FamilyTree
Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1944
Robert Irwin Robeson obituary

Notes:

                   Cause of death was heart disease.
Educated in the Hollidaysburg Public School and at Lewisburg Academy, Lewisburg, PA.
1880 - he was a farmer.
In 1918, after selling his ranch he returned to Altoona, PA., where he was living with his daughter, Sarah, at the time of his death.
Some information taken from Robeson Geneology.
Aunt Floriene info had his birthdate as Mar 4, 1852, in Hollidaysburg.  She had him dying in 1918.

Beryl told about taking the train to Montana where her grandfather was homesteading.  He picked them (she & her mother, Margaret) up at the train station in a buck board wagon.  It was quite a long way from town to his cabin.  Suddenly the horse rared up.  He grabbed the gun, hopped out, and killed a rattle snake in the road.  It was very exciting for this little city girl to experience.  It was also her only memory of riding in a wagon.  His cabin had no doors or windows.  At night, he would lay a thick rope across the floor of the doorway to keep the snakes out. (They mistake it for a very large snake and will stay away.)

Despite the fact that he had a college degree, he became a farmer.

His wife died young after childbirth.  The sons remained on the farm to help work.  The daughters were fanned out to family, friends, and jobs.  He took Margaret and Floreine into a large town nearby and asked a young lady where they might find a place to stay.  She said they were welcome to come home with her (and possibly rent a room?).  The family name was Magenheimer, and they were very wealthy but also extremely kind.  After explaining their situation, the Mrs. Magenheimer suggested that Floreine stay with them as a playmate for her daughter.  All agreed.  (Floreine would later marry the Magenheimer's son.)  In town, a woman was looking for house keeping help.  This is where Margaret, who was older, would stay and earn her keep.  She worked extremely hard.  The woman was Catholic and insisted that Margaret come with her to mass.  Margaret told her that her dead mother would literally turn over in her grave if she attended a Catholic church.  Offended, the woman literally threw all of Margaret's belonging out the window and kicked her out.  She went to live with her brother, Hjalmer, and his new wife.  Margaret and Hjalmer were always very close to one another.

Margaret eventually became a milliner and met her husband, a train postmaster, as he passed her shop every afternoon.  One day as he passed, he threw her a paper airplane.  It was a note asking for permission to call on her.  They married and gave birth to Beryl, who was born breech.  Both Margaret and Beryl almost died, but they survived. Beryl was an only child.

Floreine led a very glamorous life.  Her husband was involved with oil.  Beryl often took the train to California where Auntie Floreine would pick her up in the Duesenberg and take her around Hollywood.  She even took Beryl to a movie studio cafeteria where they visited with several movie star friends as they ate lunch.  She was active in the DAR.  Unfortunately, she was never able to have children.