Individual Details

Marriage

Mary Lou King To Be Married

MARY LOU KING

MANCHESTER - Mr. and Mrs. Lou J. King of Masonville announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Mary Lou, to Merle Robinson of Manchester, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Robinson of Marion.
The bride-elect is a graduate of the St. Luke's hospital school of nursing in Cedar Rapids. Mr. Robinson is employed in Manchester.
The wedding will take place Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. in the Methodist church at Lamont.

Death

MERLE I. ROBINSON
Merle I. Robinson was born on December 12, 1925, in Manchester, IA, and passed away on Saturday, July 8, 2017, in Fresno, CA. He was one of six children born to William and Elgie Robinson. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and was discharged in May of 1945, after serving as an Aviation Machinist Mate in Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. In October 1948, he was married to Mary Lou (King). In 1962, the Robinson family moved to Porterville, CA. As a young man, he worked in agriculture and later served as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Porterville before retiring to Fresno, CA in May of 1991. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mary Lou; son, Michael and his wife Juanita; son, Jeffrey and his wife Bev; grandchildren, Jenny Yrigollen and her husband Joe, and Katie Yoo and her husband Eugene; and great-grandchildren, Madeleine and Quincy Yrigollen. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church on Saturday, July 15, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. The church is located at 1343 E. Barstow Ave., Fresno, CA, between First Street and Cedar Ave. A private service will be held at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery at a later date. Remembrances may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church; or your favorite charity. [The Fresno Bee,  July 13, 2017]

Merle I. Robinson
Merle was 91 years old when he passed on July 8, 2017. He was raised on a farm in Iowa, so he knew all about farm work and had enjoyed it.
He graduated from Lamont, Iowa High School in 1943 and soon after joined the Navy as World War II was on. He spent most of his three years in th South Pacific as an aviation mechanic.
After being discharged from the Navy in 1945, he became reacquainted with a high school classmate, Mary Lou King. She was in nurses' training at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After Mary Lou graduated in 1948, they were married at the Methodist Church in Lamont, Iowa.
Merle then worked with dairy cattle, testing milk and conducting artificial breeding. He would tell stories of how he traveled the muddy, rutty, snowy Iowa country roads in his then unheard of 1958 Volkswagen Bug, making believers of the skeptical farmers: "The milk truck got through; Merle can make it."
They had two sons, Michael and Jeffrey. Annual family car trips offered them experiences outside of Iowa, bringing them to different states, exposing them to the beauty and diversity of the land and peoples of the U.S. Merle and Mary Lous would go on to travel the world, as well, a very un-Iowan thing to do.
In 1962, they decided to change residence and moved to Porterville, California where Merle worked at the State Hospital and later became a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. He enjoyed this work very much as he could visit with his patrons. He held this position until 1991 when he and Mary Lou retired and moved to Fresno where both sons and their families resided.
They enjoyed watching their two granddaughters, Jenny and Katie, grow up. Later on, their two great grandchildren, Madeline and Quincy, would become the apples of their eyes. Many family gatherings were hosting by Merle and Mary Lou, the most recent for Thanksgiving 2016. In October 2016, they celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary.
Merle & Mary Lou were active members of various Methodist churches in Fresno, but spent most of the time at Wesley United Methodist Church.
Note from his children, with acknowledgement to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young:
Modest almost to a fault, Merle taught his children, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren and great grandchildren by example. His Christian faith was the code he lived by: So he taught his children well; fed them all his dreams; watched what they picked; and just looked at them and sighed; and knew they loved him.
[Wesley United Methodist Church program in celebration of the life of Merle I. Robinson. July 15, 2017]