Charles A. Robison was reared under the parental roof, acquiring his education in the public schools. In the summer of 1888 he started out as an agriculturist on his own account, cultivating a portion of the home farm. The following fall he was married and established a home of his own, locating on one of his father's farms in Indian Creek township and residing thereon for six years. On the expiration of that period he took up his abode on the place where he has made his home continuously since and which he has developed into one of the highly improved farms of Indian Creek township. He built a modern, substantial residence and in fact his property is lacking in none of the equipments and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century. It comprises two hundred and seventy acres of valuable and productive land and the well tilled fields annually yield golden harvests in return for the care and labor which is bestowed upon them.
On the 19th of October, 1888, Mr. Robison was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Emery, of Iowa Center, Story county. Her father, Dr. John Allen Emery, who was a native of Pennsylvania, came to this county in 1855. A few months later his parents also came to Story county and at the end of two years removed to Elkhart, Iowa. Dr. Emery served in the army during the period of hostilities between the north and the south, was wounded by an exploding shell and experienced many of the hardships, rigors and dangers of war. He was captured in the siege of Vicksburg and was confined in Andersonville prison for eight months, and while with Sherman on his march to the sea he saw much arduous service. After returning home, his wound incapacitating him for manual labor, he took up the study of medicine and was graduated from the Keokuk Medical College with the class of 1873. Locating for practice in Elkhart, Iowa, he there remained until 1881, when he went to Boone and was made practicing physician for the miners at that place, having an average of three or four hundred men under his care. He was an able representative of his calling, being remarkably successful in solving the intricate problems which continually confront the physician.
After removing to Boone he purchased a farm in New Albany township, Story county, on which he located his family and to which he was preparing to retire when the accident occurred that resulted in his death on the 30th of November, 1884. His demise was occasioned by a runaway accident one day when he was out driving in company with the owners of the mine.
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Miss Dorothy Venneman, was a daughter of Lemuel Venneman, of whom more extended mention is made in the sketch of his son, L. J. Venneman, which appears on another page 0f this work. Mrs. Emery was an artist of no mean note, having pursued a three years' course in art at the Highland Park College. For some years following she gave private lessons in Des Moines, having a large class. Many of her paintings on china and canvas now adorn the home of our