Edith Marie Robertson

Edith Marie (Finkbeiner) Robertson was born November 3, 1911 in the country home of her parents, Fred and Ruth (Carter) Finkbeiner near Graham, Missouri.  She was their only child and moved with her family to Yuma, Colorado when Edith was 5 years old, where they settled on a farm five miles east of Yuma where Edith grew up.

Edith passed into the next life on February 15, 2018 at the age of 106 years, 3 months and 12 days of natural causes.

For Edith’s seventh birthday, her dad bought her a pony, she named Belle.  Edith and Belle won many country horse races and she rode Belle to Schramm one-room school through the fifth grade.  Bus transportation then became available and she rode the bus into Yuma where she attended grammar and high school. 

While growing up on the family farm, Edith met a special neighbor, Royal Robertson, who had come West with his family from Byron, Nebraska and settled on a farm 3 miles north of the Finkbeiner farm.  They were married on January 16, 1937 and enjoyed 58 happy years together before his passing in 1995. 

Following their marriage, they established a home on a rented farm three miles east of Yuma.  They had a few cows to milk in addition to their crops.  Edith raised chickens and turkeys.  Edith recalled that they were hailed out their first year, so there went the turkey money! In those days though, when one had cows to milk and cream and eggs to sell, one could always get by, she recalled of their first year together. 

In 1940, Royal and Edith moved to Hyde, where Royal managed the Co-op elevator for three years.  Following the death of Royal’s father in 1941, they moved to Royal’s family farm where they established their farming operation for over 45 years.  For many years they were dry land farmers, but with the advent of sprinkler irrigation in the area, they drilled a well in 1971 and farmed both irrigated and dry land crops.  In the early days, while Royal harvested the crops, Edith would haul the wheat or corn to town in a trailer hitched behind a car.  Later on, they were able to buy a pickup, she would haul the grain in that vehicle, until they were able to buy their first farm truck, which she also drove on occasions. 

After retiring from farming and moving to Yuma, where they lived in a house owned by Edith’s parents, they bought a fifth-wheel trailer and enjoyed numerous trips to the mountains during the summers and wintering in the warmer climates of Texas and Arizona.  For a brief period of time in the 50’s, Edith worked in Mustain’s Grocery Store in Yuma.  She loved to cook and try new recipes.  Sewing was also a joy and through the years she made and reconstructed many of her clothes. 

Royal and Edith were members of the First Presbyterian Church in Yuma for many years.  Edith remembered attending the groundbreaking for the current church building when she was a small girl. 

Preceding Edith in death were her parents, Fred and Ruth Finkbeiner; husband Royal; infant son, Gary; Royal’s parents, Chester and Phoebe Robertson; sister-in-law, Gwynetha (Robertson) Richardson; sister-in-law, Gladys (Robertson) Olsen; brother-in-law, Howard Olsen; nephew Russ Olsen; and nephew-in-law, Bill Jackson.  She is survived by nephew Oliver Richardson, and his partner, Joan Flory; niece, Cheryl (Richardson) Jackson and family; niece, Jeannie (Olsen) Lewis and family; nephew Roger Olsen, Wife Candace, and family. 

Funeral Services will be Monday, February 26th at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Yuma, Colorado.  Interment in the Yuma Cemetery followed the service.  Pastor Donna Herman officiated the service and Baucke Funeral Home directing the arrangements.   

Memorials may be sent to the First Presbyterian Church, 100 West 4th Ave., Yuma, Colorado 80759.

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