Stella Elizabeth (Stanley) Robbins
November 27, 1882 – May 25, 1984

Estella Elizabeth Stanley was born in November 27, 1882 at the family home north of what is now Bushnell, SD. She was the 8th child born to Charles Clifford and Susan Elizabeth (Taurman) Stanley. She would eventually have 10 siblings (7 boys and 3 girls). Her father originated in Pennsylvania after immigrating from France (born 1846) and her mother was an Indiana native (born 1842). At the time of her birth, her home was considered a prairie homestead with the closest town being Brookings, SD (Bushnell was not a town until 1993 and White in 1884) which was about 10 miles away.

Stella met and married Wisconsin native, George James Robbins, on February 14, 1900. They eventually built their home in Bushnell where they raised their three sons, Rufus Emery, George James, Jr., and Willis Norman. Stella was a deeply religious Methodist woman (Wesleyan Methodist Church of Bushnell) who did not believe in card playing or dancing. She and George provided a room for the local teacher to live in and she served as mid-wife to the mothers of the community.

Stella’s husband George lived to be 98 years old and passed away at home on August 1, 1964. She survived two of her sons (Rufus and George) and lived to be 101 years old, dying on May 25, 1984 in the White Care Center. Her longevity afforded her a unique perspective on the evolution of American society from the horse-and-buggy days of her youth to the technological marvels of the late 20th century. Estella passed away in 1984, having lived through periods of immense innovation and upheaval, embodying the resilience and continuity of the generations that settled and cultivated the American Midwest.