Hermon Linn Robe (1869 - 1971)

Born 1 Dec 1869 in Warren Creek, Linn, Oregon, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Estella (Kirk) Robe — married 25 Aug 1899 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon

Descendants

Died 28 Feb 1971 at age 101 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Margaret Summitt [send private message]

Biography

Football at the University of Oregon

In the spring of 1893, football at Oregon was not organized. It was just some boys kicking a ball around. The next year, 1894, about 20 or so boys started competition with other schools. They beat Albany College 46-0 in the first game and lost 18-0 to Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University. Hermon told an interviewer, that there were no special plays. The main play was just a general push. "The punt was the great thing." He played whatever position came up, after a while falling to an end, and playing left end. The players supplied their own uniforms. "Old rags, whatever we happened to have." The players would have to wash their hair several times after a game just to get the mud out. They wore no helmets in those days. He played on the 1895 team as well. Looking back on his football experience at age 98, Hermon said he considered football very worthwhile, both from the physical and social standpoints.^[1]

Education: University of Oregon, class of 1895. Played left end on the U.O.'s first football team, 1894-1895. Mary Ann Blackstock told Mrs. Summitt (12 Dec 1997) that there was a photo of him in football jersey bearing the number one in a hallway of the University. Delivered an Oration entitled "Socrates" 30 March 1894 at the Junior Class Exhibition at Villard Hall (Eugene Guard, 31 March 1894, page 4).

He composed the words and music to an anthem, "Hail Pioneers," possibly for the Brownsville Pioneer Picnic.

In 1955 he privately published a book of poetry, "Oregon Pioneer Tales," verse renditions of his relatives' pioneer days in Oregon.

Obituary, Eugene Register-Guard. "Oldest UO Alumnus Dies at Age 101. Funeral services for Herman [sic] Robe, who called Oregon home for more than a century, will be held in Eugene Thursday. Robe, 101, of 254 Roundup Dr., Eugene [this was Leland and Lucille's address], was the oldest alumnus of the University of Oregon and a member of the university's first football team. He died Sunday at Green Valley nursing home in Eugene. Born in a log cabin in the Warren Creek area near Brownsville Dec. 1, 1869, Robe taught school in Lane County for more than 40 years. He began his teaching career at the age of 17 after completing the eighth grade in Brownsville. Robe later attended the university, where he graduated with the class of 1895, which included nine women and one other man. He played left end on the school's first football team in 1894. Robe came to the University in 1889 and took two years of preparatory education to make up for the high school that was unavailable to him. Then he went on to get his degree in Greek and Latin. In an interview on his 100th birthday, Robe recalled working summer months in a gold mine near Blue River and taking teaching jobs in several small school districts, including Scio, Tangent, Junction City, Elmira, Weston and Mapleton. He retired from teaching in 1929, but stayed active by helping immigrants in the Eugene area prepare to pass their U.S. citizenship tests. Robe later became curator of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History, a post he held until his 'second' retirement at the age of 85. Remaining active until well into his ninth decade, Robe often led field trips into the hills around Eugene, rode a bicycle until age 85, took his first airplane ride at 89, and was a strong advocate of 'lots of outdoor exercise.' A lifelong Presbyterian, Robe was the son of the Rev. and Mrs. Robert Robe, who organized the Central United Presbyterian Church, then known as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in Eugene. His father was also the first Lane County school superintendent in the 1850s. Robe had resided in Eugene for the past 46 years. Survivors include four sons, Cecil and Leland of Eugene, Carol of Vancouver, Wash., and Stanley of Los Angeles, and five grandchildren. His wife Stella preceded him in death in 1959. The funeral service will be held at the Central Presbyterian Church Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Burial will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Park. The family requests that any memorial contributions be made to the Central Presbyterian Church." Died of complications from a broken hip when he tried to get out of bed to take a bath by himself (hated being bathed by nurses). He had lived at Good Samaritan Home, then Green Valley. Rev. Norman Pott officiated at the funeral.

Census Records

1910 Census: resided 19 Kirk Avenue in Brownsville: Robe, Herman L. age 40 married once 10 years ago; b. Oregon, father b. Ohio, mother b. Georgia; teacher, public school. Robe, Estella L. wife age 34, married once ten years ago, mother of 3, 3 now living. Robe, Cecil F. son age 10 b Oregon as were parents. Robe, Leland A. son age 6 b Oregon as were parents. Robe, Carol V. son age 2 b Oregon as were parents.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Jerry Uhrhammer, "Last of UO's First," Eugene Register-Guard, Friday, 22 Sept, 1967.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLYY-MT6 : accessed 23 March 2019), Herman L. Robe, Brownsville Ward 3, Linn, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 183, sheet 1B, family 22, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1283; FHL microfilm 1,375,296.

• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #70496493 (accessed 10 February 2024)
  Memorial page for Hermon Linn Robe (1 Dec 1869-28 Feb 1971), citing Rest-Haven Memorial Park, Eugene, Lane County, Oregon, USA; Maintained by Jonathon Mauser (contributor 47381289).