Robb Memorial Cemetery, Since 1882
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The History of Robb Cemetery and Wilmina Robb Memorial

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          William Robb came to Nebraska by covered wagon in 1872 settling in the northeast corner of Gosper County. Over the years he built a reputation as owner of Robb Ranch producing Galloway and Angus cattle. When he died he had acquired 22 sections of land and 1000 head of cattle. He did this with his wife Margaret Jane. They had three daughters, Jennie, Susie and Wilmina. 
          His youngest daughter Wilmina had health problems related to repeated ear infections. In 1911 she and her sister Susie traveled to St. Josephs Hospital in Omaha. Surgery was scheduled to remove an abscess from her ear. Wilmina died on the operating table from what is now believed to be an overdose of chloroform. The fifteen year olds death was a shock to her family and community. Her funeral was held at Robb Ranch on May 10, 1911 and she was buried in what was then known as Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Approximately 4 years after her death her parents began a project that took almost another 4 years to complete. A memorial funeral chapel open to all denominations in her memory.
          William Robb purchased one area of land for $30 from Stephen B. Cole in November of 1913 across the road from what is now Robb Cemetery. He contracted an architect, George B. Prinze from Omaha to draft plans. The plans show a gothic style chapel, 30 by 30 feet, approximately 20 feet high with a dome roof. Originally, the building was to be built of concrete but was later changed to red brick that shipped from Omaha. After the four walls were built, construction of the concrete dome room was sub-contracted to H. Varley Gratham of Lexington. The four windows were made of clear, one quarter inch glass that was clear not eh inside but ribbed and obscured on the outside. The glass was formed around chicken wire, for strength and to keep vandals out. Two oversized double doors served as the only entryway and were made of solid wood. There were no locks on the doors until the 1930’s. A decorative stone slab was placed above the door.
          Inside, the plans called for seating for 75 with three sections of seating with two aisles leading to the back of the building. Instead of the chairs in the plans, pews were installed with seating for 100. There was a choir loft and room for a piano. The building was never practical. It had terrible acoustics because of the high, domed ceiling. It was always damp and cold inside which caused the plaster to flake. There was only one heater at the back wall and the only ventilation came from the open doors. The estimated cost for building was $4,000 but in reality it cost between 8 and 10 thousand dollars.
          Margaret Jane Robb died at the ranch in 1919 and her services was in the chapel. In 1920, William deeded the land to the cemetery association for $1.00 and the cemetery was officially renamed Robb Cemetery in 1921. William died in Chicago in 1924. His remains were returned to Nebraska and his services were int he chapel. 
          It was believed that the last funeral in the chapel was William’s daughter, Jennie Robb Jeffrey in 1928. She was 47. However, it was deterred there was one more funeral, Mrs. Hansen in the early 1930’s. She had two funerals, one in Eustis and the second at Robb. Over the next 20 years the building fell prey to vandals. The interior was destroyed, the windows were shattered by rocks and bullets and the white plastered walls were defaced with graffiti. Nature was not kind to the chapel either. Around 1948 the chapel doors and windows were sealed with bricks and mortar.
          Robb Cemetery has an interesting history as well. Originally called Pleasant Hill, it was renamed Robb Cemetery in 1921. Besides the Robb family there are many other noteworthy names. They include Louisa Freeman, wife of Daniel Freeman, one of the first settlers in Lexington. A longtime Dawson County judge, Merton O. Bates; Robert Gillard, 1797-1889, and the oldest person buried at Robb; and Andrew J. Curtice a civil war veteran who claimed to have family who came over on the Mayflower. Robb Cemetery is an active cemetery. Situated on a hill, overlooking the Platte Valley, Robb Cemetery is a peaceful place where you can hear the birds sing and the wind in the trees.

The Wilmina Robb Memorial has been through many years of deterioration and vandalism but was recently restored. Read more about the next steps in the Robb Cemetery Restoration Project and please consider donating to the fund. 

Pleasant Hill/Robb Cemetery History
Recorded throughout the years

The first graves were moved to Pleasant Hill/Robb Cemetery on April 28, 1882 from Evergreen Cemetery, east of Lexington along the Union Pacific Railroad. They were moved because Edmond T. Wallace and William Robb believed the water table was high enough for ground water to seep into the graves. Mrs. Maria A. Roberts, great grand-mother of Mrs. Ralph Bellew, and Clyde Wallace of Lexington, and Susan K. Robb, a sister of William Robb and a great aunt of the Jeffery brothers, and a lady named Retta Lang who lived three quarters of a mile southwest of Lexington’s Platte River Bridge were all buried the same day. The first plot of ground was donated by Stephen M. Albro, a contractor by trade, who resided in North Platte at the time, but who had homesteaded the section where the cemetery is located. Later additions to the cemetery were acquired form Mr. William Robb and Mrs. Stephen B. Cole. Lots at the time sold for $1.00 and $3.00. In April of 1898, the first association with a constitution was organized. In 1910, the association was brought up to date in conformity with the statutes of the state of Nebraska. In 1919, Mr. Robb completed construction on the Robb Memorial across the road to the west, in remembrance of his daughter, Wilmina, who died in 1910 at the age of 14 years. Robb deeded the building and grounds to the cemetery in 1920 and in 1921, a majority vote changed the name of the cemetery from Pleasant Hill to Robb Cemetery. The first funeral service held in the chapel was that of Mary A.E. Wallace, great grandmother of John E. Wallace (Sexton 1979). William Robb, it is said, drove his mules and wagon all over the neighborhood borrowing chairs as pews had not yet been acquired for the chapel in may of 1917. 

The last funeral service to be held in the chapel was that of Jennie Robb Jeffrey, William Robb’s daughter who died in April of 1928. Through the years, the condition of the chapel deteriorated, heavy vandalism took its toll on the windows, doors, and interior of the building. There was discussion in the early 1940’s about sealing the building and finally in 1948, the window openings and the door were bricked by George Decker to prevent further damage to the structure. The cemetery has from time to time suffered from vandalism, an attempt was made to dig up William Robb’s casket in 1968, the casket was damaged slightly, but the guilty party was discovered in the act before they could get the casket opened. They believed William was buried with expensive jewelry. Maria Roberts headstone was damaged and the tall stone on the gasaway lot was broken. The Staley stone was toppled - Waller stone upset and the bronze stones were damaged. The north gates were damaged - Letters taken from the arch. - A south gate was installed in 1968.

In 1981, additional asphalt was laid along the wast hedge form the center crossover to the south gates. Then in 1983 the cemetery purchased a WPA one hole from Gene Michel and placed it along the east hedge to the south of the wild mill. We also acquired a 20 foot aluminum flagpole from the VFW Post 5136 at Lexington and the Dar furnished the flag during 1983. In 1989 the memorial building was renovated - cracked caulked, mortar repointed, parts of the wide band on the front which had fallen were replaced and the plaster was removed from the Dome and replaced with surcoat which was rolled like paint - the coating has fiberglass fibers for extra strength. The window openings and door area were all repainted. In 1991 the arch on the north gate was removed and a new arch constructed by Detrich Meyer of Meyer Welding was installed. The original arch was designed for a 12 foot gate. The four foot sections of piper were added to each end when the gate was widened to 18 feet. The new arch has the same proportions as the original 12 foot gate arch, but the new gate arch is a full 18 feet. The letters were constructed from 3/32’s sheet steel and were welded to the expanded metal screen. The old letters were made of tin and soldered on the mesh. The letters on the front of the memorial were highlighted in black paint so they can easily be read. In 1995, discussion with the association about future expansion resulted in further discussion with Tom Cummings about the Nellie M Cole Trust. Mr. Cummins offered to intercede with the Nebraska Children’s Home Society in Omaha and on September 13, the Children’s Home executive committee made a motion which passed giving Robb Cemetery the option to purchase two additional arches to the south of the cemetery. Sometime in the near future we will get this area fenced and get a cedar hedge started around the perimeter. The original south hedge will remain with a couple openings into the new part of the cemetery, will help to maintain wind protection in the south part of the existing grounds. 

Robb Cemetery today in a majestic place with shrubs, pines, cedars and lilacs that scent the air in the spring, making it a very peaceful place to bury our dead. Edmond T. Wallace and his good neighbor William Robb must look down upon us and be pleased at what they started so many years ago. We must also take the opportunity to pay tribute to Mathilda Lantz Richardson who faithfully recorded much of the data recorded in these pages. Her fifty years of loving duty in the association through good and bad years, raising a big family and her varied interests throughout the community are an inspiration to all of us. To “Tillie” I dedicate this new book in hopes those of us who follow in this task can do justice to what she passed down to us. 
 - John E Wallace Sexton  1979

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In the mid 1990’s, following a great many burials during the 1980s and following years, almost all cemetery lots to the north of the south drive had been sold and with only the southernmost portion of the grounds left for future burials and sale. It was apparent that in some twenty years, we conceivably run out of burial spaces. The Sexton had the opportunity to visit with Tom Cummings who manages the Nellie M. Cole Turst. I mentioned our problem and the possibility of purchasing several acres of land to the south. Cummins offereed to intercede with the Nebraska Children’s home and in September 1995 a letter from the Nebraska Children’s Home Society, reported they had approved and gave consent for the two acres to the cemetery association. In conversations with Hazel Cole Sitlington of Holdrege, Hazel made the point that the Nebraska Childrens Home Society did not have the authority to transfer or give the land. Their only connection is that they will be the beneficiaries of money from the space of the Cole properties after Hazels death. Hazel Cole Sitlington is talking to her lawyer offered to donate two acres of the Nellie M. Cole trust acreage south of existing cemetery property, to the Robb Cemetery Association. The Robb Cemetery Association contacted Tagge Engineering Inc. of Holdrege to survey the site and mark the donated property. It was necessary for the county to establish known markers on the section lines and the land south of the cemetery was staked accordingly by Surveyor from Tagge Engineering, marking the two acres located in the new 1/4 of Section 15, TON, R21 West of the 6th PM in Gosper County, measured to the middle of county road 435 with a total of 2.24 acres, two full acres beyond the fence line as the addition to the cemetery. Just prior to Memorial Day a letter from Willard Weinhold notified us that the paperwork for the deed had been forwarded tot he Gosper County assessor’s office for the formal transfer of the land to the cemetery association. Payment for the surveying by  Tagge Engineering Inc. in the amount of six hundred thirty nine and 18 one hundredths dollars was mailed to Holdrege. We also received date that requested names, addresses and phone numbers of the cemetery association in order to have the info available to the county board when they “consider removal of the additional land from the tax rolls of Gosper County. Formal deed fo rite addition to Robb Cemetery was received on __________ and this addition now becomes the Cole section of the cemetery in memory of the Nellie M. Cole trust, Stephone B. Cole, husband of Nellie, and Hazel Cole sitlington who so generously donated this parcel of land to the cemetery association, Mr and Mrs Cole, son of Elberty R. Nellie’s Mother and sister are all buried in the Robb section of the cemetery. The Coles, longtime Gosper residents lived in the foot of the hill north of Robb only a metal building remains at the building site. Clyde Wallace purchased ht école home and tore it down in the winter of 1968. The smaller house, originally built for Hazel, was moved to Overton in the 1970s. The bard burned some years before, when Bob Rittgarns resided at this location
    With this addition, the cemetery grows from 3.97 acres to just under six acres on the east side of the road and one area on the west where the Robb Memorial Chapel stands. 
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