Eloise Frisbie Robbins

Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Eloise Frisbie Robbins

Eloise Frisbie Robbins passed away peacefully Tuesday, Oct. 27, in Freeman, Mo., at the home she shared with her daughter, Jessie, and son-in-law, Terry Carter. Mrs. Robbins was a month from her 90th birthday, Nov. 24.

Born in Gallup, N.M., in 1930, Eloise was the first child and only daughter of Letha (Lowe) and Arthur Frisbie. After the arrival of two brothers, Lowe and Lynn, the family relocated back home to Kansas in the Mound City/Pleasanton area. A teaching/coaching opportunity for her father took the family to Fort Scott where Eloise welcomed her youngest brother, Steve, graduated from high school, went on to attend Fort Scott JUCO and then to Emporia State Teachers College where she almost got a degree. Instead, she married James Howard Robbins on Aug. 10, 1952. Years later, she obtained her teaching degree from Pittsburg State University and a Master’s Degree from Webster College and would tell her daughters, “First you get your degree. Then you get married.”

Eloise spent much of her adult life as a working mother, raising five children and teaching upper elementary school in Suffield, Ohio, and Belton, Mo. She shared with her kids, both her own and the ones she taught, her love of music – Eloise was an avid opera fan, going to the Metropolitan Opera in New York as often as she could – and history. In 1978, Eloise was presented the Edgar Langsdorf Award for Excellence in Writing by the Kansas State Historical Society for her scholarly writing. Other interests included mystery writing, needle work, gardening and travel. By the time she reached 70, she had been about anywhere you could name, including Antarctica. In her later years, she enjoyed being “Greatma” to her 19 great-grandchildren. She has two little girls named for her.

Eloise was active in attending church, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Harrisonville, and St. Anne’s in Lee’s Summit, until her health prevented it. Her philanthropic interests were The Carter Center, The Salvation Army and The Trading Post Museum.

Eloise was preceded in death by her parents, Letha and Arthur; her husband of almost 50 years, Jim; the older two of her brothers, Lynn Frisbie and Arthur Lowe Frisbie; and two sons-in-law, Robert Herndon and Ali Asif. She is survived by her youngest brother, Steve Frisbie; sisters-in-law: Carolyn (Steve), Louise (Lowe) and Faye (Lynn); son, James Robbins and daughter-in-law, Karen Crotty Robbins; daughters and sons-in-law: Jessie and Terry Carter and Eloise and Barry Knowlton; daughters: Chris Robbins Herndon and Kate Robbins Asif; 13 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; much loved nieces and nephews and their children, family friends, numerous colleagues and a multitude of students. Eloise was loved. She will be missed. Funeral services will be held in June 2021.