February 7, 2008

OBITUARIES

Beatrice Robinow

Beatrice Wilt Robinow of Yellow Springs died Jan. 28, at Friends Care Community. She was 90.

She was born Jan 16, 1918, to Clayton and Pearl Graybill Wilt, in southern Snyder County, PA. She was the valedictorian of the class of 1935 at Fayette High School in McAlisterville, Penn., and a 1939 graduate of Geisinger Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Danville, PA.

While working as a nurse in Carlisle, PA., she socialized with army doctors at Carlisle Barracks and became intrigued by military life. She enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps three months before Pearl Harbor. During World War II, she served in Yuma, Ariz., Camp Crowder, Mo., and Guam.

Bea married her husband, army doctor Meinhard Robinow, on June 26, 1944, at Camp Chaffee, Ark. They were soon separated by the military and spent 24 hours together in the next 22 months. They reunited in Yellow Springs in 1946. From 1947 to 1949 they lived in Dayton where Dr. Robinow had a private pediatric practice and Bea was his nurse. They moved back to Yellow Springs in 1949, where, except for four years in Virginia, Bea lived the rest of her life.

She was a frequent volunteer at Red Cross bloodmobiles in the 1950s and 1960s. After her children were older she taught sex education to high school students for the Red Cross and Planned Parenthood.

Bea was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Meinhard, in 1997; sister, Viola Linn; and her grandson, Robert Robinow.

She is survived by her sons, David and his wife, Pat, and Dan, all of Yellow Springs; and daughter Rebecca Bush of Las Vegas, Nev.; grandchildren, Jacob Kline of Dallas, Tex.; George Bush of Athens, Ohio; Clayton Bush of Las Vegas, Nev.; Jennifer Robinow of Springfield; and Emma Robinow of Yellow Springs; her sister, Betty Blahusch of New Cumberland, PA; and her brother, Clayton Wilt and his wife, Doris, of Selingsgrove, PA.

Services are to be held later at the convenience of the family. Arrangements by Conroy Funeral Home.

Russell T. Luse

Russell T. Luse of Clifton died in his home Wednesday, Jan. 30, after a brief illness. He was 85.

He was born Nov. 28, 1922, in Clifton to Kenneth and Florence (Loe) Luse.

Russell retired from Morris Bean and Co. in Yellow Springs in 1985 and was a longtime farmer, having a passion for collecting and restoring antique John Deere tractors and other farm machinery.

He was a United States Army World War II veteran who served in the Italian Theater. Russell was a founding member of the Old Timers Club, which was organized in January 1979. He was elected as its first president and served as president eight more times.

Russell will be remembered for his jokes, pranks and tall tales.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and wife of 52 years, Norma, in 2000.

He is survived by three daughters and their spouses, Pamela and Wayne Pitstick, Lonnie and Jack Conroy, all of Springfield, Cheryl Keys-Claypool of Clifton and son-in-law Bill Claypool of Cedarville; 10 grandchildren and their spouses; six great grandchildren; one sister, Naomi Varela of Tucson, Ariz.; lifelong friend Carl “Curly” Cultice of Cedarville; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was especially close to nephews Linden Carter of Wilmington and Christopher Joseph of Tucson, Ariz., with whom he shared many good times and ornery jokes.

Funeral services were held on Feb. 4 in the Conroy Funeral Home, with burial to follow in Clifton-Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Community-Mercy Hospice or the Animal Welfare League of Clark County.

Connie L. Tackett

Connie L. Tackett of Yellow Springs died on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at her home. She was 58. Services were held Monday, Feb. 4, at McColaugh Funeral Home, Inc., Xenia.