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Note: As a child, I was in awe of her. She was taller, could run faster, and was so sure of herself. She was beautiful and talented and able to do just about anything she put her mind to. She was not really turned on to education until later in life when she went back to school to get a degree in Elementary Education. She also got an M. Ed. in the same field. When she had to stop working, she was involved in getting another Master's in Counseling. Her college education at MSCW from 1946-1950 was a very social time for her. I think she had so many interests that she could not settle down to just one field so she chose to be a hospital dietitian. She wanted to be a nurse, but the W did not offer the training at that time.
She and Lee met while he was at Miss. State. He had served in the Navy during the last year of the war and attended school on the G. I. Bill. Lee's degree was in Industrial Management. He was PiKA and shortly after Christmas of their senior year, they were pinned. They married in South Carolina and lived there until after Tom was born. They returned to Meridian where Lee was employed as an accountant. After David was born in 1952, Ludlow Manufacturing opened a plant in Indianola and Lee became the Quality Control officer. His last position was as plant manager. He had the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder but by that time, Tom was buried in Indianola; life was slower in a small southern town with many amenities for children not found in faster paced northern towns. Also, Lee's father was dead and as an only child, he felt he needed to see to his mother, despite her marrying again.
Lee enjoyed golf and said that my father had reared his daughter perfectly. Tutter expected him to play golf every Saturday and Sunday afternoons, except in the Fall when Miss. State played home games! They were avid fans and attended as many as possible.
Tutter worked at Sears before Ann was in school. Ada Bell came into their lives and was their dear friend. She kept them all straight and clean. My sister was a very capable home maker but she adored sewing and preferred that to any other part of keeping house. Lee said he never understood how she saved him money by buying material and patterns and keeping the sewing machine hot. But when she made him a sport coat, beautifully tailored, he was convinced. She was so very talented with her hands and Ann still has the bargello dining room chair covers. I have a number of pieces of her handwork. And the Christening dresses she and Ann made for Ashley and Albert have been used by five of my eight grandchildren.
After Tom's death in 1965, she spent a year in tears, but got up every day and worked through her grief. In fact, when Tom was buried on Christmas Eve, she and her family returned to the church for services that night. I watched the courage, strength, and dedication to Christ that seemed to grow overnight and learned what a true Christian does when bad things happen to good people. She and several friends made Chrismons and until Lee's death, the four Robinsons erected the Christmas tree in the church, decorating it with her beautiful ornaments. Tom's death changed us all, including the children. We became much more thoughtful and so aware of how much we meant to one another.
When Ann was a junior in high school, Tutter and Lee built their dream home. They had been planning it for years and it was a masterpiece. There was little wasted space and exactly what they hoped it would be. Tutter was teaching 4th grade in Inverness as their token white on staff; Lee was plant manager; they had two wonderful years. David was at Miss. State and Ann had one year at home and her first year at the W. After Lee's death in 1974, it was foolish for her to keep that big house, especially after several peeping tom experiences. She sold it in 1977 and became a house mother at MSCW where she worked until 1985.
Beloved Tutter. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1980 and had surgery. This was not totally unexpected as this particular type of disease runs in our family. But she had taken DES hormones when she was in danger of miscarrying with Ann. She took estrogen in her 40's to counteract the effects of menopause. Also, she went through so much stress connected with Tom's death in 1965. When she was in the last stages of her illness, David went back on active duty in the Army in 1986. He was teaching ROTC at Nichols State University in Thibodeaux; I moved, too, as I just could not stand thinking of her being alone all day. She had never been in remission and would have to get to Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans for treatment. And again, she showed us how to meet adversity with courage. It was a wonderfully blessed time for all of us. Helen and her family came over often from Lake Catherine. We went to every funny and entertaining festival in South Louisiana. And David and I were sure that if we just looked after her very carefully that she would live. She was only 58. We had three babies in our family that year: Audrey, Stephen, and Sara. They helped ease the pain and brought joy in 1987. They were surely gifts from the Lord.
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