Jessie Elaine Robison 1918 – 2003

Jessie Elaine Robison was the daughter of James Stanley Robison (1890-1939) and Sophia Wilhelmina Harder (1891-1972). 

Her grandparents were Emma Jean Gandy (1863-1937) and James Henry Robison (1859-1937). Isaac and Harriet Gandy were her great grandparents.

Jessie Elaine Robison and parents
Jessie Elaine Robison with her parents. Photo Courtesy Patsy Schlabsz

An even younger photograph of Jessie can be found here, from the Simonson ranch in Gandy in 1918.

Jessie´s story as told by Janice Moote

Jessie Elaine Robison was born the 8th of Feb 1914 in Garrison, Utah to James Stanley Robison and Sophia Wilhelmina Harder Robison. Jessie had three sisters, Veva Emma born 1911, Nina Amy born 1913, Neva Arlene born 1914, and brother DeMar born 1920.

They were all raised in Gandy, Utah, named after their great grandfather, Isaac Gandy. Jessie was very close to all of her siblings and loved each one of them very much often telling stories to her grandchildren of growing up with them. As a teenager she dated Horace Neilsen. He was quite a character and Walter Falkenburg wrote a poem about them which will be given later.

She met William Ross Kelly and they were married 10 Oct 1938 in Ely, Nevada.

They lived in Ibapah and had two children, Patricia Elaine and Stanley George. Bill was a Marine in the United States Army and went off to war “Iwo Jima” leaving Jessie and their two small children anxiously awaiting his return. Jessie and Bill wrote many beautiful letters to each other while Bill was at war, Bill often writing and sending her poems of his love for her. After Bill’s return home from war, he did some farming but did just a little bit of everything and they moved a few times, to Tooele, Utah and Ely, Nevada. Jessie was a stay at home mom and she never did learn to drive a car.

William (Bill) was killed in a mine accident in 1959. Jessie was still raising their son Stanley. Jessie later met George Fisher in Tooele, and they were married in 1963. George had two sons and a daughter she helped raise, the sons were Frank, Lynn, and a daughter Ann. Ann was very close to Jessie as she was the only mother she knew and called her mama. Jessie and George spent their retired years traveling and seeing new places, they even went to Hawaii square dancing.

During their marriage they liked to square dance and belonged to a square dance group called the KC Squares. They also liked to go rock hunting. After retirement they became snow birds, with their winter home in Niland, California and their summer home in Chiloquin, Oregon to be near their daughter Pat & Dwain and their grandchildren. Jessie loved to sew and Square Dancing so much that she actually hand made her youngest great granddaughter Crista age two a complete square dance outfit, dress, skirt and all. After the dress was complete, off they went square dancing, Great Grandma/Grandpa with Great Granddaughter Crista in tow to a Square Dance. Jessie was so very proud.

George died in 1990 and she continued to live in her own home on Pat & Dwain’s property until the last few years of her life. Jessie had back surgery and never completely recovered from being under anaesthetic and immediately suffered from dementia while still recovering and was in an adult foster home in Klamath Falls, Oregon until her death in 2003.

Jessie was very good with her hands and made all of her grandchildren’s clothing when they were young. Jessie also made the most beautiful quilts, many of which she passed onto her grandchildren. Jessie was a very good cook. All of her grandchildren often talked of her meals and how she could make anything taste delicious. She was most known for her cookies and always had fresh warm homemade cookies for her grandchildren.

Jesse Elaine Robison
Jesse Elaine Robison. Photo courtesy Janice Moote

Jessie lived her life for her family. Jessie was especially very proud of her children and grandchildren and took every opportunity to show them off to any and everyone. Jessie had a great grandson who was named after her “Jesse Kelley Russell”, she also shared her middle name Elaine her niece Elaine, her daughter Patricia Elaine, and her great great granddaughter Ireland Elaine. Jessie’s niece is Janice Elaine and her daughter is Elaine Marie.

Obituary for Jessie Elaine Fisher

“Jessie Elaine (Kelley) Fisher of Chiloquin, Ore., died Thursday, April 3, 2003, in Klamath Falls, Ore. The former Ely resident was born in Garrison, Utah, in 1918.

She married William Kelley in 1938. He preceded her in death in 1960. She married George Fisher on Dec. 31, 1963.

Survivors include a daughter, Patricia (Dwain) Russell of Chiloquin; son Stanley (Shirley) Kelley of Grantsville, Utah; step daughter Ann (Steve) Rommel of Salt Lake City; nine grandchildren; numerous great grandchildren; and one great, great granddaughter.

Mrs. Fisher also is survived by her sister Veva Dekker of Salt Lake City and her brother DeMar Robison of Elko.

Services were conducted Monday, April 7, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chiloquin followed by burial in the Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens in Klamath Falls.

The family extended special thanks to the Quail Ridge Foster Care Home in Klamath Falls.”

Ely Times, April 11, 2003