George James Robbins
April 10, 1866 – August 1, 1964

 

George James Robbins was the 5th of 6 children born to John Robbins (1826-1881) and Nancy (Smedley) Robbins (1833-1906) in the state of Wisconsin. George's siblings included Eliza (b. 1854), Mary (b. 1859), Nancy (b. 1860), Sarah (b. 1864), and Emery (b. 1870). When he was about 4 years old, his family moved to Minnesota. In the early 1900’s, he moved to the Brookings, SD area. On February 14, 1900, he married Estella (Stella) Stanley and they eventually settled in Bushnell, SD.  George was born in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War, a period marked by the struggle for civil rights during Reconstruction. His early life in Wisconsin coincided with significant national efforts to integrate formerly enslaved African Americans into society as citizens with voting rights. Meanwhile, the Homestead Act of 1862 had opened millions of acres of government land to small farmers at minimal cost, fueling westward expansion. George's family was part of this movement, seeking new opportunities in the Midwest.

George and Stella had three sons, Rufus Emery, George James, Jr., and Willis Norman. His mother, Nancy, lived with them until her death in 1906. He and Stella provided a home for the local schoolteachers as well as did some farming and raising of livestock. By the time George married Stella in 1900, America was deep into the Gilded Age, an era characterized by industrial growth, urbanization, and economic disparity. Despite these national trends, George's life remained rooted in rural communities across Minnesota and South Dakota, reflecting the experience of many Americans who continued to live agrarian lifestyles despite rapid changes elsewhere. The turn of the century also saw the closing of the American frontier, as declared by the census of 1890, which may have influenced George's settlement choices.

During the early 20th century, when George settled in the Brookings, South Dakota area, the Progressive Era was reshaping American politics and society, aiming to address issues caused by industrialization. This period saw the rise of labor unions, women's suffrage, and regulatory reforms. Internationally, the world was rocked by two major conflicts, World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945), though their direct impact on George's rural life might have been limited beyond perhaps the participation of community members or relatives. The 1930s brought about the Great Depression, severely affecting the U.S. economy and its citizens. As a resident of Bushnell, South Dakota, during this decade, George would have experienced the economic hardships that gripped the nation. Additionally, the region faced ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl, which devastated agricultural communities throughout the Great Plains, leading to widespread poverty and mass migration.

Living until the age of 98, George witnessed profound transformations in American society, including the New Deal programs initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat the effects of the Great Depression. By the time of his death in 1964, he had lived through the post-World War II boom, the beginning of the Cold War, and the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement, which sought to secure equal rights for African Americans—a stark contrast to the societal conditions present at his birth.

The surname Robbins is of English origin and is a patronymic name derived from the given name Robin, or Robyn. Robbins means 'son of Robin' and, as surnames began to be used in England around the 11th century, those bearing the name Robbins would have been identified as descendants of an individual known by the personal name Robin (Robyns). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Dera Robins, which was dated 1273, in the "Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

George passed away of natural causes related to old age (he was 98) on August 1, 1964, at his home in Bushnell, South Dakota. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Brookings, South Dakota. He was survived by his wife, Stella and his three sons and their families.