Joseph Robison Jr (1804-1868)

Joseph Robison Jr (1804-1868)
Born	1804
Died	1868
Father	Joseph Robison Sr
Mother	Cornelia Guenal
Wife	Lucretia Hancock (1807-1889)

Biography

Birth and Marriage

Joseph Robinson II was born 21 May 1804, the fifth child of Joseph Robinson I and Cornelia Guinal, in Charleston(now Glen), Montgomery, New York. He was the fifth child and fourth son. He met and married Lucretia Hancock on the 5th of February 1829, at Clay, Onandaga, New York. Joseph and Lucretia made their first home in Clay, New York, where their first five children were born.

Life in Schroeple

In the year 1835 Joseph and Lucetia, with four small boys, bought forty acres of land from Mr. Schroeple in what was called Schroeple Township. Their son Alvin says, “My father cut his way into the woods a half mile, in to the dense forest and started to clear up his farm. They used ox teams.” A log house was built with a huge fireplace and althought the winters following were very severe they had plenty of a fuel. Four years later a school house was built on this farm and Celina Chaffee was the teacher Celina later married Joseph’s brother, Peter.

Joseph's Conversion

One day in 1840 Joseph took some grain to the mill and was gone longer than usual and longer than Lucretia thought he should be. When he returned she asked rather sharply where he had been and he said he stopped to listen to some Mormon Elders who had given him some tracts. His wife replied that there was too much work to do to waste time listening to such foolishness and added, “I have my Bible and have no need for Mormonism.” Joseph always dreaded any unpleasantness, so laying the “distasteful” tracts on the table he quietly left the house. The tracts, although apparently harmless bits of paper exerted a strange influence over Lucretia. When she could stand it no longer she began to read. She said later, “That was the first time I ever left my work to read.” And read she did as the days went by and she found that there was no statement made in the Mormon tracts that was contrary to the teaching of her beloved Bible. She was converted and knew that the message was direct from heaven. It was not Lucretia’s nature to readily admit that she was wrong so she said nothing to Joseph, and he, to avoid further unpleasantness said nothing more to her. One bitter cold day in February 1841 Joseph quietly left the house and went to meet the Mormon Elders who were to baptize him. The spot chosen was on the bank of the Oswego River, N.Y. where the ice had been cut to make it possible for this sacred ordinance to be performed. Lucretia was there ahead of him and they entered the waters of baptism, becoming members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Joseph’s brothers William Henry and Peter, and his sisters, Matilda with her husband, (Thomas Rice King), Delilah with her husband, (Orange Warner) and Margaret with her husband, (Alva Phelps), were already members of the new unpopular church but his sister, Susan and his two brothers, John and James Miller were not in sympathy with the new movement. Lovina had died in Clay in 1835, leaving one child, Bron Warner.

Moving to Filmore Utah

On July 16th, 1854, the Hancocks arrived in Salt Lake City and after paying tithing were instructed to go to Fillmore, Utah sixty miles to the south. Joseph Robinson and his boys were active in the community in civil and religious affairs, always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone needing help, especially newcomers. Brother John Ashman, for many years a Patriarch in Millard Stake says that when his father’s family first came to Fillmore they suffered for the necessities of life. Joseph Robinson took his homemade wheelbarrow, made from barrel staves (as he was a cooper as his father had been) loaded it with a ham, a side of cured bacon, sack of flour, sack of potatoes and some apples for them. This was not the only trip of this kind that Joseph made, always after dark, and the load was often topped with one of Lucretia’s warm serviceable quilts. Many people spoke of grandfather as being the kindest man they ever knew. Little children were naturally drawn to him. Platte D. Lyman, his son in law said he never knew a kinder man than Joseph Robingson. At one time Louise Yates Robinson (one time President of the Relief Society) said, “Joseph Robinson was a fine gentleman but Lucretia was made of ‘sterner stuff’, she was a stern uncompromising Puritan”, but both had sterling qualities desirable and much to be admired in any ancestors.

Death

Joseph Robinson was Mayor of Fillmore at the time of his death which occurred on June 3rd, 1868, at age 64, and his term was finished by his son, Joseph V. Robinson. Joseph was caught in a blizzard while on his way to Deseret where he was helping his son Benjamin, who was Bishop there, the build a dam to supply water for the town. He was losdt and out all night and never recovered from the effects of the exposure. “Joseph Robinson was a quiet, unassuming man of sterling worth, good judgment and absolutely reliable and dependable. He was a hard worker, a good provider and esteemed his family above all else. He valued his religion very highly, and at his passing he had an abiding faith in his religion and the resurrection, and of those who espoused its cause.”