Anne Atkins Robinson
Devoted Volunteer and
Generous Donor
1921 ~ 2015
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| Photo provided by Ruth Robinson |
Her Family
Anne Atkins Robinson was
born November 30, 1921, in San Francisco. Her parents were David Hadden Atkins,
a native of England, and Mary de Fremery, of Dutch ancestry. Anne was a twin to
Ruth, and younger sister to Arthur, Mary, Elizabeth, Dorothy, and Susan.
Early Years
Anne spent her childhood in
San Francisco before graduating from high school in Santa Barbara County, and
then Pomona College. She joined the Army during WWII, enlisting in the Women’s
Army Corps on March 11, 1944. A few years after the war, Anne married Edward P.
Robinson. They raised two sons, Patrick and William, and a daughter, Ruth, in
Redwood City. According to Ruth, “Anne was a happy, devoted and loving wife and
mother, a creative homemaker, and an avid gardener.”
Volunteering and Genealogy
Anne was an active volunteer
in her children’s schools. Her interest in family history grew when she took a
genealogy class, following the death of her husband. From there, she became an
enthusiastic genealogist and continued her volunteer work, in libraries and
repositories. Though she lived in San Mateo County, Anne joined the California Genealogical Society in 1980, where she volunteered for 32 years. She was also
a founding member of the San Mateo Genealogical Society, where she tracked periodicals and created beautiful, handwritten
labels. She additionally volunteered at the National Archives in San Bruno,
where she helped to preserve the Chinese Immigration Files.
Her Legacy
It was as a volunteer at the
California Genealogical Society where Anne really made her mark. She left her
Redwood City home early in the morning, and commuted several hours by Caltrain
and BART, to arrive at our society once or twice a week, for decades. In more
recent years, Ruth drove her mother to our society, as Anne truly enjoyed the
camaraderie. She was a member of our Library Committee, where she inventoried
our holdings, indexed ancestral charts, and worked on the Great Register of
1890 indexing project. Today, patrons can see Anne’s handiwork in the
beautifully scripted labels on our pamphlets and other materials.
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| Photo by Kathryn Doyle |
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| Photo by Kathryn Doyle |
In 2008, the Federation of
Genealogical Societies recognized Anne for her contributions:
“The Federation of
Genealogical Societies is pleased to present the Volunteer of the Year 2008 to
Anne A. Robinson, nominated by the California Genealogical Society and Library
in Recognition of outstanding service to the genealogical community.”
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| Award Recipient Photo by Kathryn Doyle |
Anne served many roles at
the California Genealogical Society, but her biggest contribution was to the
Book Repair Committee. She was an early member of this group, which continues
to provide a much-needed service caring for our fragile collection. According
to one volunteer, Anne “always brought her book repair ‘kit’ with her own
materials: scissors much sharper than the ones in our box and her own ‘bone
folder’ – a book repair tool, her own pens and many mystery items.” Through
this work, Anne developed lifelong friendships.
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| Repairing Books Photo by Kathryn Doyle |
Remembrance
Her friends at the
California Genealogical Society had many kind words to say about her. Dick
Rees, also a member since 1980, recalled that “Anne had a wonderfully sharp sense
of humor and a real sense of devotion to CGS.” Lorna Wallace mentioned that
Anne was “quiet, hard-working, yet with a happy laugh, and a friendly
mood.” Pat Bonderud shared that Anne always greeted “everyone warmly” which was
a “great way for volunteers to start their day at the library.” Pat also
mentioned that Anne “was very pleasant to work with; quiet but filled with
interesting stories.”
Every December, the Book
Repair group had their own holiday party. Anne always brought her signature
cookies, “ginger trees with white frosting and tiny M&M’s.” She never
wavered and always brought plenty to share. Her fondness for sweets didn’t end
at the holiday party. CGS Life Member and long-serving volunteer, Eugene Peck,
always looked forward to their weekly cups of hot chocolate.
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| Anne A. Robinson and Vern Deubler Photo by Kathryn Doyle |
Anne was a remarkable woman,
a dedicated volunteer who gave generously to our society. She passed away on
September 20, 2015. One person who knew her quite well, Bill O’Neil, summed it
up best by simply saying, “We miss her!” His words reflect how all of us at the
California Genealogical Society feel about Anne. Yes, we really do miss her.
Anne, however, will live on in our hearts with fond memories of days past and
friendships forged at the library.
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| Thirty two years of volunteerism Photo by Arlene Miles |
You may read more about Anne
A. Robinson in one of the many CGS blog posts featuring her activities. Additionally, an obituary written by her family was recently published in
the San Francisco Chronicle.
In the spirit of Anne’s
tireless generosity, the family kindly requested that contributions in her
memory be made to the California Genealogical Society.
Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society
