Robson, Elmer J. 1915-2005

ROBSON, KNAPP, BLANFORD

Posted By: Linda Robson (email)
Date: 6/27/2005 at 23:26:37

COLFAX — Elmer J. Robson, 89, of Colfax died Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at his home.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Wallace Family Funeral Home in Newton with the Rev. Timothy K. Robson officiating. Burial will be at Newton Union Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home, where the family will be present. Memorials will be accepted to the Red Cross and may be left at the funeral home.

The son of John T. and Martha A. (Knapp) Robson, he was born Sept. 27, 1915, in Baxter. He attended high school in Laurel and played softball, baseball, football and track in high school and beyond. After high school, he assembled two softball teams, the Merchants of Newton and The Sage, and played for those teams for four years. He competed and won honors in the Drake Relays. Later, he was offered a position on the 1936 Chicago Bears Football team, however, he turned the offer down to get married. On June 20, 1936, he married Mary Ellen Blanford in Newton. They traveled throughout the United States, doing evangelistic work.

Mr. Robson worked for the Rath Meat Packing Company in Waterloo and retired in 1977. He lived most of his life in the Waterloo area before moving to Colfax in 2004 to live with his daughter. He founded Lighthouse Worship Center Church.

Survivors include a daughter, Linda Robson of Colfax; a son, Timothy Robson of Aplington; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Helen Robson of Newton; and two sisters and brothers-in-law, Grace and Ray Schutte of Kellogg and Martha and Robert Guthrie of Newton.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; a son, Larry Robson; six brothers, Joseph, Norman, Ray, William, Howard and Harvey Robson; two sisters, Elizabeth Oliphant and Mary Robson; and a daughter-in-law, Judy Darlene Robson.

Newton Daily News, Thursday, March 17, 2005