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Ahnentafel 4.
Residences: East Vassalboro, Maine; Astoria, Long Island, New York [address: 2835 East 42nd Street, New York City] (22 June 1951 to 27 June 1952); Plainfield, N.J. [address: 212 Netherwood Avenue] (10 July 1952 to 15 November 1953); "Everett Coombs house", East Vassalboro, Maine (18 November 1953 to 25 September 1954); Fairfield, Maine [address: 2 Gerald Terrace] (25 September 1954 to May 1957); "Priest house", East Vassalboro, Maine (May 1957 to Labor Day weekend, September 1958); new home on Route 32, East Vassalboro, Maine (Labor Day weekend, September 1958).
Church affiliation: East Vassalboro [Maine] Friends Meeting [Quaker].
Occupation: mechanical engineer.
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[Gerald Robbins in the Navy. Excerpt from an early draft of: "WHEN WILL THIS WAR EVER BE OVER? : ON THE HOME FRONT IN EAST VASSALBORO, 1942-1945" by Stephen L. Robbins. From a copy of the manuscript which was submitted to the editor of The Town Line (South China, Maine), who edited it substantially before its publication in Town Line in 1995. Below is the unedited version.]
GERALD ROBBINS was a younger brother of Louis Robbins. Edith noted in July 1943 that her grandson Gerald, age 17, "tells me he is interested in enlisting in the Navy. I hope he will forget it and finish [high] school." Gerald did enlist, and in Oct. 1943 was sent to Newport Training Station in R.I. He arrived home for a furlough in early Dec. 1943, then was sent to Norman, Okla. for five months training in aviation mechanics. While there, Gerald was in the hospital for a while with mumps in Feb. 1944, then scarlet fever in Mar. 1944. In July 1944 he was sent to Vero Beach, Fla., then to Jacksonville, Fla. in Aug. 1944. Gerald was home on a furlough in Oct. 1944, then was sent to a base at Long Beach, Calif. Edith records that in Jan. 1945 Gerald was sent to Miami, Fla. "to a course in gunnery (O dear)." He was sent to Jacksonville, Fla. in Feb. 1945 for more gunnery training; Edith writes "Then what? O dear!" Gerald received his "Wings" in June 1945 and was allowed a furlough home, then was sent to a base in Kansas to study about airplanes. In Oct. 1945 Gerald "says he is not a student now but an assistant instructor. He wants to go to school after he is out of Navy and that is good." When Edith ended her 1945 diary, Gerald was home for Christmas on a furlough. In the following years Gerald would finish high school, go to the University of Maine on the "G.I. Bill" and become a mechanical engineer.
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Excerpt from 2017 version:
Edith noted in July, 1943, that her 17-year-old grandson, Gerald Robbins (Louis Robbins’ brother), “tells me he is interested in enlisting in the Navy. I hope he will forget it and finish [high] school.” However, Gerald knew that if he did not enlist now, then as soon as his 18th birthday arrived in October the Army would most likely draft him. Then, as Gerald surmised from the current was news, be would become “cannon fodder” on the impenetrable Italian beaches, where hundreds of recently-drafted men and boys were already being slaughtered daily. Gerald also believed that Hitler was an evil “madman” who must be stopped. Thus, Gerald did enlist in the Navy and, in October, 1943, was sent to Newport Training Station in Rhode Island. Gerald received additional training in aviation mechanics in Oklahoma, then gunnery training in Florida. Gerald received his “wings” in June, 1945, and was allowed a furlough home, then sent to a base in Kansas to study airplanes. By October, he became an assistant instructor. When Edith ended her 1945 diary, Gerald was home for Christmas. In later years, he would finish high school, attend the University of Maine on the GI Bill, and become a mechanical engineer.
[... deletia ...]
It may seem unusual that the Robbins boys participated in military service during World War II, for they and their parents were members of a historically pacifist denomination, the Society of Friends (Quakers). During the 1800s, the local Friends meetings did censure and disown several Vassalboro men for joining the military, or for just attending musters and parades. Somehow, though, this tough church discipline had been discontinued by the time World War II broke out. While the Friends Meeting attempted, still, to maintain a positive “peace testimony,” it now tolerated and accepted its members who chose military duty.
Several Quaker young men of East Vassalboro held to the traditional “peace testimony” and most of these registered with the draft board as “conscientious objectors,” which United States law allowed. One man performed a 3-year “alternative service,” working in a mental hospital; another cut trees in government-owned forests in the west; still another, refusing to register with the draft board, spent the war years in a federal prison.
Across the country 42,973 men were classified as conscientious objectors. Of this number, 25,000 served in the military as medics or non-combatants; 12,000 more performed non-military alternative service at 151 Civilian Public Service Camps; and 6,000 who refused to serve spent their time in prison.
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Gerald was born in Elm City Hospital, Waterville, Maine. He was not born in Vassalboro, although his birth is printed in the Vassalboro Town Report for 1926.
Gerald served in the Navy in World War II, then completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Maine, Orono, Maine.
After Gerald and Maxine were married, they lived in Plainfield, N.J. while Gerald commuted to his job (mechanical engineer) at Ingersoll-Rand in New York City. In late 1953, tiring of big city life, they returned to Maine. Gerald took a position as a mechanical engineer at Keyes Fibre Company in Waterville, Maine, where he remained until his retirement. Back in Maine, the couple first rented a house at East Vassalboro, then an apartment in Fairfield, Maine, then an apartment in East Vassalboro, then finally moved into a house which Gerald had built in East Vassalboro. Gerald retired sometime prior to 1992.
His telephone number (since the "dial telephone" was introduced to East Vassalboro) was (207) 923-3951, until about 1978 or 1979 when changed to (207) 923-3088 (an unlisted number).
His mailing address (probably 1957-early 1960s): P.O. Box 72, East Vassalboro, Maine.
His mailing address (in the 1960s): P.O. Box 53, East Vassalboro, Maine 04935.
His mailing address (by 1992): P.O. Box 86, East Vassalboro, Maine 04935.
His home is on Route 32, East Vassalboro, Maine; about the 1990s that road was designated "South Main Street, Vassalboro" and Gerald's house was assigned number 262.
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See online photo of Gerald and Maxine (Gray) Robbins:
"Gerald & Maxine (Gray) Robbins, E. Vassalboro, Me." (53 KB)
< http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/o/b/Stephen-L-Robbins/PHOTO/0008photo.html >
Photo taken by Deborah Robbins (probably in the early 1990s). [a4&5.jpg ; added 17 May 2003].
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Online photo of Gerald Robbins:
"Gerald Robbins and his childhood home (1999)." (813 KB)
< http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/o/b/Stephen-L-Robbins/PHOTO/0014photo.html >
Citation: Morning Sentinel (Waterville, Maine), Sunday, 27 June 1999, page D1. Photo caption: "Gerald Robbins, of East Vassalboro, stands on a knoll behind the meetinghouse on the Stanley Hill Road. In the background is the farm where he grew up. Robbins and his wife, Maxine, will be on hand to welcome guests to the centennial Celebration scheduled for Sunday at the Friends Meetinghouse." Photo credit: "Staff Photos / Susan Varney". Posted here with permission from Morning Sentinel. [A4church.jpg ; added 17 May 2004].
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Another online photo of Gerald and Maxine Robbins:
"Gerald and Maxine Robbins, May 2000." (90 KB)
< http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/o/b/Stephen-L-Robbins/PHOTO/0012photo.html >
Photo taken by Steve Robbins in May 2000, at Steve's home in Toccoa, Georgia. [A4#2.jpg ; added 15 February 2004].
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Biographical sketch of Gerald and Maxine Robbins:
"Meeting Our Meeting Family : Maxine and Gerald Robbins" (6KB), by Carolyn and Avery Harrington.
< http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/o/b/Stephen-L-Robbins/FILE/0110page.html >
Posted here with permission from Carolyn and Avery Harrington. Originally published in: Vassalboro Monthly Meeting of Friends Newsletter (East Vassalboro, Maine), no. 46 (November 1995) : p. 4-6. [A4meet.htm from A 4meet.rtf ; last modified 10 March 2004]
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1991 Interview with Gerald and Maxine Robbins:
"Gerald and Maxine Robbins, Interview 1991." (71 KB)
< http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/o/b/Stephen-L-Robbins/FILE/0111page.html >
Interviewed by Stephen Robbins on 16 February 1991. [A4in91.htm from A4in91.rtf ; last modified 10 March 2004]
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[Source: Diary of Edith (Starrett) Massé of East Vassalboro, Maine.]
Thursday, November 5, 19[53]. ". . . . He [i.e., Gerald] has decided to except [i.e., accept] a job with K[e]yes [Fibre] Company in Fairfield , and will rent Everett Coombs house for a while."
Wednesday, November 18, 19[53]. "Gerry & Max are staying in their new quarters to night. . . . ."
Thursday, September 16, 1954. ". . . . He [i.e., Gerald] has to move in another week to Fairfield, where he found a rent. We feel so bad to have them move out of E. Vassalboro."
Saturday, September 25, 1954. ". . . . Gerald & Maxine are moving to day, & Mena is taking care of Stevie."
Saturday, May 25, 1957. "Gerald has begun to move down to live in Allen Gray's rent until he gets his house done. Ken's family have moved out and into his new home, but it is not finished yet."
Sunday, September 14, 1958. ". . . . In evening, Gerald came after us, to go up to his new home to call. . . . .".
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[Source: Maxine (Gray) Robbins and Gerald Robbins, interviewed by Stephen Robbins (by telephone), 13 May 2007.]
Maxine's residences at University of Maine, Orono, Maine. In Maxine's freshman year, she lived at West Hall (a wooden barracks, which is no longer standing).
In Maxine's sophomore, junior and senior years she lived at North Estabrook Hall (for 3 years), except for a few weeks when she lived at the " Home Management House" with a teacher and other students for special training (including a real baby to take care of).
Gerald's first year of college was at the University of Maine "annex" campus at the Brunswick, Maine Naval Air Station. There, Gerald and 2 other students lived at the Chief Petty Officer's Quarters. His classes at Brunswick were "mostly English and math."
In Gerald's sophomore year (which was his first year at the Orono campus), he lived in "New Dorm 3" (which was later named Chadbourne Hall). This was "the first new dorm as you turn into campus from Town" [i.e., Orono], and was across the road (Munson Road) from West Hall but closer to the highway (College Avenue). [Note: Stephen Robbins also stayed at Chadbourne Hall in a basement room, during the Spring semester of his first year at the Orono campus.]
During Gerald's junior and senior years (for 2 years) he was a Proctor at Oak Hall, which was "near where the class bell was on the ground." He proctored 6 people in two rooms, on the ground floor on the side towards the river (Stillwater River). There were 3 people to a room, with an aisle between the two rooms. Proctoring involved such things as helping people to settle an argument when there was a disagreement.
Most of Gerald's classes were held in Crosby Hall, Lord Hall, Wingate Hall, and the Machine Tool Lab (where the "Lion" locomotive was kept at that time).
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Photo of Gerald Robbins and the Taylorcraft plane which he owned (N5043M). Gerald is turning the propeller; Deborah Robbins is in the plane, and Paul Robbins is in the foreground. At China Lake in January 1966: < http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N5043M.html >.
Gerald also owned another Taylorcraft before this one, which was number N44444. There is information on this web site of that plane also. Also, an online NTSA database shows that N44444 had an accident at Norridgewock in the 1970s (not serious, but had to be reported). This was after Gerald had owned the plane.
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[Source: Diary of Minerva (Sharman) Gray, Friday, 31 January 1969.]
"In Maxine's [i.e., Maxine (Gray) Robbins'] last letter she wrote that Gerry [Robbins] had his picture [taken] with Gov[ernor] Curtis and it would be in the [news]paper -- engineers -- I have watched our paper [i.e ., Bangor Daily News] but haven't seen it yet." [Stephen Robbins' note , 11 November 2010. Minerva's diary shows that the lettter from Maxine was received on Wednesday 08 January 1969.]
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[Source: Deborah Robbins to Stephen Robbins, telephone call, 03 April 2012.]
On 28 April 2012 Shirley and Rich moved into the new addition to Gerald Robbins' home in East Vassalboro, Maine; Shirley began giving daily care to Gerald and Maxine Robbins.
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[Source: Nicolas L. Robbins to Stephen L. Robbins, telephone call, 05 June 2013:]
Gerald Robbins died of pneumonia at about 7:50 p.m., Wednesday, 05 June 2013 at Thayer Unit of Maine General Hospital, Waterville, Maine.
[Source: Deborah E. Robbins to Stephen and Dale Robbins, telephone call, 02 June 2013:]
Gerald was taken to the hospital by ambulance on the previous Sunday morning, 02 June 2013, after being visited at his home by his doctor, Dr. Wistar. His daughter Shirley's husband, Rich LeVasseur, was in the same hospital due to double pneumonia, being taken there on Friday, 31 May 2013.
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GERALD L. ROBBINS [obituary] [a4obitMS ; last modified 09 June 2013]
EAST VASSALBORO -- Gerald Laroy Robbins, 87, of East Vassalboro, passed away on June 5, 2013, with his loving family at his side, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, Thayer campus, in Waterville.
He was born in Waterville on Oct. 13, 1925, the son of Maurice Smiley Robbins and Malvena Masse Robbins.
Gerald attended Vassalboro schools and shared many adventures, and a few misadventures, with his lifelong friend, Paul Cates. He also attended Coburn Classical Institute in Waterville. He left there to enlist in the Navy in 1944, where he served as a flight engineer and as a flight-engineer instructor on PB4Y aircraft. After his military service, he graduated from Higgins Classical Institute in Charleston. Gerald continued his education at the University of Maine in Orono, where he met the love of his life, Maxine Goldie Gray. Gerald graduated from the University of Maine in 1951 with a degree in mechanical engineering, and he and Maxine were married in 1952.
Gerald's engineering career began with Ingersoll-Rand Corp. in New York. He then returned to Maine and worked for Keyes Fibre Co. of Waterville for the next 34 years, retiring in 1988 as manager of engineering services. While at Keyes Fibre, he developed a number of improvements for the company's production machinery and products, and earned two U.S. patents for his designs.
An avid do-it-yourselfer, Gerald designed and built his home in East Vassalboro, along with innumerable smaller projects. He was generous with his time and talents in helping family, friends and local organizations.
He had a love of aviation, and owned or co-owned several small airplanes over the years, sharing many airborne adventures with family and friends. Another great joy of his was taking family camping trips and outdoor adventures around the Canadian Maritimes, northern New England, and Alaska, as well as at the rustic log camp on Lead Mountain Pond, which he owned with longtime friend Bob Bartlett.
Gerald was a member of the Vassalboro Friends Meeting (Quaker) in East Vassalboro, and was a member of the East Vassalboro Grange, where he served as treasurer. He also served on the board of corporators of Oak Grove-Coburn School, the board of directors of the Oak Grove Foundation and the board of trustees of the Kennebec Water District, and was a member of the American Legion and the Vassalboro Historical Society.
Gerald was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Maxine; his brothers, Louis Robbins, of Augusta, and Wallace Robbins, of Brewer; his sister, Marjorie Lalime, of Damariscotta; his children, Stephen and Dale Robbins, of Warsaw, Ind., Deborah Robbins and Paul Salley, of Palmyra, Stanley Robbins, of East Vassalboro, Paul Robbins, of East Vassalboro, and Shirley and Richard LeVasseur, of East Vassalboro; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 22, at the Vassalboro Friends Meeting in East Vassalboro. A reception will follow at the East Vassalboro Grange Hall. A private graveside service will be held the following day at Chadwick Hill Cemetery in South China. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Oak Grove Foundation, c /o Austin Law Office, P.O. Box 150, South China, ME 04358. Notes of condolence may be expressed to the family at www.gallantfh.com.
Arrangements are under the care of Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm St ., Waterville.
Published in Morning Sentinel [Waterville, Maine] on [Sunday] June 9, 2013
<http://obituaries.onlinesentinel.com/obituaries/mainetoday-morningse ntinel/obituary.aspx?n=gerald-l-robbins&pid=165246870> ; accessed 09 June 2013.
[Stephen Robbins' note, 09 June 2013. I know that Gerald was Assistant Manager of Keyes Fibre's Engineering department. I am not sure whether he later became the Manager.]
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