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a. Note:   Bob was adopted by the Washburns from a large family in Schenectady when he was a baby. His biological father was August C. Griesel. (b.1878 in Germany). August disappeared in 1919 on his way to Boston, MASS. His wife Genevieve Riel (b.1885), also died in 1919. Brothers of Robert were Carl (1911-2004) and August "Gus" C. Griesel (1907-1995). Carl died in May, 2004 at age 92. He also mentioned a sister named Lilian (1914-2002). She married Robert Oliver Sargent on June 6, 1935 in Syracuse, NY. She died in San Jose, CA. Bob was in the Army during WWII. Discharged on May 17, 1945. I was named after my "Uncle Bobby."
  The following is by Jerry Bloss:
  One day Leslie Kipp and Bob got into a discussion. I have no memory as to what it was about but both of them were very angry. Kipp told Bob he was going to take him on and beat the tar outta him in just a couple of hours. I've always known Bob could take care of himself but, right or wrong, his big brother, Bill was always there to share his fight and stand up for him even if Bob didn't want him to do it. The time came for the confrontation right in our Main Avenue driveway. Bill walked out of the house right behind Bob. Les had a friend of his standing beside him but as soon as your Dad appeared he backed away and left Kipp standing there by himself. Now, Les was no coward but he had enough sense to strongly believe that discretion was the better part of valor. He turned and departed giving Bob a very mean look. Mom was watching from the kitchen window and when Kipp left she started laughing up a storm. I've always thought that if Bob had taken him on, Kipp might have ended up in a hospital. You've seen quite a few of Bob's pictures. He certainly doesn't look like a Charles Atlas but he was very strong. This anger between these two didn't last more than a day. Les was a friend of Bob and Bill for many years.
  This is a story about an insane driver in his early twenties. He had just acquired a car called a Hudson Terraplane built by General Motors (I think). It was the first design incorporating an all aluminum body. It was light. So light it flew, although that was not its designed intent. Wings were not provided. Neither was a railroad bridge with an approach consisting of a thirty degree incline, with the cross over being flat. This insane driver decided he wanted to test his new car, for some idiotic reason the nature of which no one ever learned. So he took it to about 80 MPH and hit that incline. Up he went. And up-and up. When he reached the top he kept on going. One can safely predict that when one reaches the apex of his trajectory he can plan on coming back down. Well! He did. But not onto the road. The car decided to veer to the right and it landed on a patch of grass already occupied be a very large tree. We know that when a vehicle moving at 80 MPH meets a large stationary object, the vehicle is going to end up the worse for the wear suffering immense damage, while the very large stationary object is just going to sit there for another few years.
 Now God must have had something more beneficial in mind for this insane young driver because he wasn't seriously injured. That's right. He lived through it. He went on to a long and fruitful life. He helped people and people loved him. His name was Robert G. Washburn. He was one of my favorite people. A total inspiration to me.
  Just before he was to be separated, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and RGW remained with the Army for the following four years. He was eventually sent to the Pacific Theater of Ops where he earned the Bronze Star medal for his heroism. During an air raid, bombs were coming down as heavily as raindrops. It was night and their concussion caused the lights in a large ammunition supply yard to come on. With them on, the entire yard would have been destroyed. RGW left his secure surroundings and raced across a clearing to hit a main switch and dowse the illumination. In doing this he put his own life on the line in order to save many others.
  Jerry Bloss, 2000


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