Barber County Kansas
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Barber County Kansas |
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George Franklin Forney.
Photo courtesy of LeAnne
(Forney) Brubaker.
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E-mail to Ernie Middleton from LeAnne (Forney) Brubaker,
2 August 2008:
A Shared G.G. GrandfatherDear Mr. Middleton,
It was with great delight that I read the letter you have from the Rev. George Robinson of Sharon, KS on the Barber, Co. website. He was my G.G. Grandfather as well. The "nice fellow" that Bessie had married in the letter you have was my G. Grandfather, Leander Edmund (L.E.) Forney. Elizabeth (Bessie) and Leander had 5 children, 3 of whom survived (Arthur & Raymond are buried with her in the Sharon, KS cemetery). The youngest, George Franklin Forney, Sr., was my grandfather.
Our family lore reports that Bessie died from childbirth fever with my grandfather. Leander and Bessie were living on the homestead they claimed in the Oklahoma land run of 1893 near Cherokee, Oklahoma. When Bessie died, her parents, George and Dorothy Robinson, came down from Sharon, KS with a wagon. They took the 2-week old baby back with them, along with a milk cow tied to the wagon. They raised him until he was six years old, then returned him to Leander who had remarried a woman named Jenny Dickson. Jenny was called "Mother" by all three of Leander and Bessie's children - Daisy, Gilbert, and George. On all accounts they loved her very much as she respected their mother's memory, yet mothered them with care. Daisy, however, told of how when the Robinsons returned George to Oklahoma, he'd stand out by the fence and scuff his toe saying he just wanted to "go home." My father recalls that throughout my grandfather's life, he would return periodically to mow the grass and care for the Robinson stones in the Sharon, KS cemetery.
I am attaching a photograph of the Rev. George Robinson with my grandfather, George Franklin Forney, in his lap. That the Robinsons took the time and care to have the portrait made seems to speak of the affection they had for their daughter's baby. My grandfather loved this picture and had it reproduced for my sisters and me so we, too, could cherish it.
Rev. George Robinson and his grandson, George Franklin Forney.
Photo courtesy of LeAnne (Forney) Brubaker.
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We also, like you, possess a single letter written by George Robinson which I believe you will find very interesting as it has your father (I think he was Thomas?) mentioned. Gilbert Forney, Bessie & Leander's eldest son, was serving in the U.S. army during W.W. I. Rev. Robinson wrote this lively and caring letter to him before he shipped out to Europe. Particularly endearing is the part where he advises that if Gilbert becomes injured, he should seek out his cousins in Durham, England where he would be well-cared for. He includes their addresses.
I am attaching a copy of this letter and a transcription for you as well. There is also a picture of Gilbert in WWI as he was when he received this letter. And I'll include one of my grandfather, George Franklin Forney, as an adult. My own special father is his son, George Franklin Forney, Jr. I have been collecting family history and would be glad to share what I have.
I hope this letter finds you well,
Sincerely,
LeAnne Forney Brubaker
Gilbert Forney, American Expeditionary Force, World War I.
Eldest son of L.E. and Elizabeth "Bessie" (Robinson) Forney
Brother of George Franklin Forney
Photo courtesy of LeAnne (Forney) Brubaker.
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Letter from Rev.
George Robinson in Sharon, Kansas, to his grandson, Gilbert
Forney, serving in WWI, 28 Sept 1918, page 1.
Letter courtesy of
LeAnne (Forney) Brubaker.
Letter from Rev.
George Robinson in Sharon, Kansas, to his grandson, Gilbert
Forney, serving in WWI, 28 Sept 1918, page 2.
Letter courtesy of
LeAnne (Forney) Brubaker.
Transcription by LeAnne (Forney) Brubaker
of letter from Rev. George Robinson in Sharon, Kansas,
to his grandson, Gilbert Forney, serving in WWI,
dated 28 Sept 1918.Sharon, Kansas. Sep 28th 1918
Dear Gilbert,
I have just received a postal from Mother stating you expected to move camp on Oct 5th and may be you may move across the ocean soon. I wish I had been going with you but the trouble with me is I was born too soon and Unkle Sam don’t need us young fellows. Maybe he thinks we don’t know much. I still think that at 81 yrs I could get a few Huns. I shave twice a week myself with the old fashioned blade and never used my spectacles, and seldom a Rabbit ever gets away from my old gun if I get to see him. I am sending you your cousin Geo. Robinson’s Adress in France, and also his brother’s home address in The North of England. I expect you will go by the South of England, possibly by London and may be in training there but I do not know. You might eventually get wounded and be sent to hospital in England, and as soon as you were able you could have them send you on to your cousins in the County of Durham where you would be cared for til able to join your colors again. I am anxious to hear from George from France. I hope you will be lucky – never forget I am praying for you and hope you will come out all right. America leans on all her sons to do there duty for Righteousness and Justice in the World. Daisy has had quite a time of it but is now doing well and will soon be strong. It was too hard on both Floyd and her to have to lose little Jak, but our good Father knows best. Hope you are getting hardened to drill work - make up your mind to enjoy yourself on your trip it will be the trip of your life. Be brave and aim high.
I hope I will live till to see this war ended and a world peace established. I am writing so you will receive this before you move. If you have time write me ½ dozen lines and anytime in future. I will be pleased to hear from you. Oh yes, I also can’t for get to say I got acquainted with that little girl Mary and she is surely fine. Well I will close my letter hoping it finds you all OK.
Your Loving Grandpa
Geo. Robinson
Lance Corporal
George Robinson
French Mortar School
5th Army British Expeditionary Force
France
Thomas D. Robinson
No. 8 Grey Horse Lane
Houghton-Le-Spring
County of Durham
EnglandThree girl cousins
And families live here
The following off-site links will open in a new browser window:
Forney Family Genealogy Forum at GenForum
Thanks to LeAnne (Forney) Brubaker for the photographs and the letter by Rev. Robinson which she sent for publication on this web site. I had hoped when I originally put this web page online that a descendant of Rev. Robinson would find it and provide a photo of him for publication on this page.
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