The oldest of the Robbins girls, Edith was born on July 20, 1871. She taught school for a short time – at East and West High Schools in Minneapolis. In 1899 was teacher and assistant principal at Madelia, Minnesota. She served as board member and clerk of the Robbinsdale School district for many years. Mr. Robbins invited the neighbors in to see the dress Edith was going to wear to her cousins wedding in 1893- it was pink crepe with lace and pearl trimming. Edith toured Europe with her mother in 1899. She was a writer of poetry as was her sister Amy. She was married for a short while to Lester Daniels. In 1914 she adopted a baby daughter.
Edith and sister Amy ran a Tea House in the 1920’s. It was in the building that is now Duschane’s Funeral Home and used to be her sister Ruth’s house.
The other Robbins girls were :
Amy Robbins Ware – who served with the Red.Cross during World War I. She lived in Robbinsdale – her home was located where Robbins Landing is now.
Adelaide Robbins Gillette
Ruth Robbins Rodda – who married the second time a doctor who practiced in Robbinsdale. She was the last one of the fami]y to pass away – March 1971 .
Esther Robbins Scott the youngest said in writing her memoirs, “I tried to make up to my father for not having a son. I hated frills and ruffles and my I climbed every tree and roof and loved the platform on top of the tall windmill.” Her daughter, Bonnie Scott lived in St. Louis Park and died February 2, 1980.
-This material was gathered from the North Hennepin Post and the diaries of Ellen M. Bisbee, (sister of J. P. Shumway and Nathan F. Russ J. P. Shumway). It was compiled and edited by Evelyn and Esther Shumway for a Robbinsdale Historiocal Society slide show in 1980.
