Alvin Reece Robinson

Reece was born on October 2, 1914 to Hudson Allen and Ethel Willis Thomason Robinson in his parent's home in Arizona, LA. He is descended from the Claiborne Parish pioneering family of Hudson Allen Robinson, Sr. and his wife Sarah Jane Goodson Robinson. He lived in Arizona for almost all of his life. He was a member of the Arizona United Methodist Church having joined on August 21, 1924. He was an active member of the church, serving on the Board of Directors and as a Trustee for the church. He was very active in civic affairs in the area. He was one of the founders and builders of the Arizona Rural Life Museum and served as a Board Member. He also served as a Board Member and Vice-President of the Forest Grove Cemetery Association. He served the Association as a Director for 33 years and in a special tribute during the Association's regular meeting in May 2006, he was presented with a plaque by the Board President honoring him for his many years of dedicated service (which included mowing the cemetery at no charge for over 15 years, helping dig graves with a shovel in the earlier years, and for numerous other issues that he handled). At that meeting in 2006 he was named Director Emeritus. He attended the Arizona Academy and Lisbon High School. He was employed as a salesman for Claiborne Butane for 33 years and retired from that company. In later years he was a cattleman and timber farmer and was a member of the Claiborne Parish Cattlemen's Association. He served as Constable in Ward 7 for many years. He also was a volunteer fireman for District 6 in Claiborne Parish. He was one of the founding supporters of the Claiborne Academy Foundation and was active in its support in the following years. At an early age, Reece started to school walking 2-½ miles from his home to the Arizona Academy where one teacher, Miss Georgia Pryor, taught all six grades. She organized a chorus consisting of four boys (Reece was one of the four) and four girls and entered the chorus in the North Louisiana Rally which was held in Homer at that time. She thought appearance was very important so the girls all wore homemade dresses of silk pongee that were made by their mothers. The boys did not own suits, but Miss Georgia was an enterprising person, so she "borrowed" four suits from Mr. J. L. Ferguson's store in Homer and just as soon as their program was over at the Rally, the boys took off the suits; then Miss Pryor had them cleaned and pressed and Mr. Ferguson was able to put them back in his stock. They won FIRST PLACE! That First Place banner hangs in the Arizona Rural Museum today as well as a picture of the Chorus Group. When the Arizona School closed in 1928, he then attended Lisbon High School. He was an excellent football player, noted for his quickness and speed on the field. If he got the football, there was no one who could catch him before he scored. On November 9, 1935 he married his high school sweetheart, Dorris Spigener at the Dubach Methodist Church. He enjoyed traveling and when his children were out of school, they traveled every summer all over the United States and in later years, they all went to Hawaii, Alaska, West Point, Reno and took a cruise through the Panama Canal where his brother, Bernie had worked as an engineer. His children and grandchildren were his pride and joy. Reece is survived by his wife of 78 years, Dorris Spigener Robinson; his children, Edith Ann Robinson Hausman and her husband, Mal; and Peggy Joe Robinson Pike and her husband, Alf all of the Arizona community. He is survived by grandsons, Alvin Keith Womack and his wife, Tami, of Reno, NV; James Gregory Pike and his wife, Darlene, of Hinesville, GA; Jeffrey Allen Pike and his wife, Kelly; George Douglas Pike and his wife, Kristi all of Arizona, LA and Chet Michael Pike of Camden, AR. He is survived by fourteen great grandchildren, Malcolm Reece and Meredith Anna Womack of Magnolia, AR; Garrett Todd Womack of Reno, NV; Allison Lucille Pike, Elizabeth, and Chris Pike of Hinesville, GA; Matthew Sergei Pike and Michael Sergey Pike of Arizona, LA; Austin, Cole and Reagan Pike all of Arizona, LA; Justin Zebulon Pike and Julie Anne Pike of El Dorado, AR and America Pike of Camden, AR. He is also survived by his sisters Mabel Robinson Nichols of Santa Rosa, CA; and by Frances Faye Robinson Bookter and her husband, Claude of Baton Rouge, LA. He was preceded in death by his grandson Edward Kirk Womack of Magnolia, AR and twelve siblings: Bernie, Ben, Mamie, Jewell, Melton, James, Robert, Ida Preston, Lillian Fraqua, Vesta Cook, Allene White, and Miriam Baker. In May 1999, the Claiborne Parish Chapter of the DAR received a Certificate of Appreciation to present to Reece Robinson stating that he had been entered into the World War II Memorial Registry for his civilian service in helping our nation win the greatest military victory in history. It was signed by Peter Wheeler, Chairman, World War II Memorial Advisory Board. During the time that he worked at the Ordnance Plant near Minden, LA, Reece walked 6 miles to Homer to catch a bus to the plant, and then on the return trip, walked the 6 miles back home. He had sold his car for a tidy profit at the beginning of World War II not realizing he couldn't buy another one any time soon. Even if he had been able to buy a car, most people in the parish could not buy gas at that time if there was any and if you had enough gasoline stamps. Honorary pallbearers will be: Bruce Robinson, Jack Cranford, J. D. Teel, Jim Wright, Claude Bookter, Jr., Bobby Robinson, Ronnie Anderson, Joe Richardson and Garrett Womack. Pallbearers will be his grandsons: Keith Womack, Jeff Pike, Doug Pike; his great grandchildren: Reece Womack, Austin Pike, Matthew Pike, Michael Pike, Cole Pike, Reagan Pike and Justin Pike. Visitation will be at the Rose-Neath Chapel in Homer, LA on Friday, June 20, 2014 from 1:00P - 2:00P. The service will be held at the Rose-Neath Chapel on Friday, June 20, 2014 at 2:00P. Burial will follow at the Forest Grove Cemetery near the community of Arizona, LA. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations could be made to the Arizona Methodist Church or the Forest Grove Cemetery Association in care of Wanda Teel, 372 Methodist Camp Road, Homer, LA 71040.

Rose-Neath Funeral Home Homer Chapel (318) 927-6110