Anna Verne Robinson

A Memorial Service will be held for Anna Verne Robinson on Monday, December 21, 2015, 2:00 p.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 9315 Candelaria Road NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Anna Verne passed away December 10, 2015, in Albuquerque,following a brief illness. She was eighty-nine. Born December 28, 1925, in Breckinridge,Texas, to William Everett Clement and Verna Sarilda Clement,Anna Verne moved as a young child with her parents to Abilene, Texas. She grew up there, the oldest of four children, graduating at the top of her class from Abilene High School in 1943, and obtaining a B.A. In Music Education from Abilene Christian College (now Abilene Christian University) in 1946, graduating in only three years. In 1949, she received a Master's Degree in Education from North Texas State University. Immediately after graduating from Abilene Christian, Anna Verne began her career as a teacher in the public schools, starting in the Abilene Independent School District, at Locust Elementary, where she served as the music teacher, and as a third grade classroom teacher. On August 24, 1951, Anna Verne married George W. Robinson, who had also begun pursuing a career in both music and education. In 1953, the couple moved from Abilene to Lubbock, Texas, where they lived for over fifty years. George directed orchestras in the public schools in Lubbock and won recognition over the years as a leader in stringed instrument education in Texas. George was also the principal violist in the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Together, George and Anna Verne played a major role in promoting the Lubbock Symphony. They also entertained members of the community in their home, with delicious and beautifully presented food, often with chamber music parties in the living room. Anna Verne served in the Lubbock schools until her retirement, teaching at elementary schools Dupree, K. Carter, Parkway, and Overton. She primarily taught fourth and fifth grades. Her students respected and adored her, some referring to her as "Miz R." Wearing a check symbol pin she had received for a charitable contribution that resembled the "quality check" logo of a local dairy, she received a great compliment from a fourth grader, who told her, "Oh, Miz R, you got the quality check!"Among many other interests, Anna Verne was a gardener. She once dined at the grand opening of an upscale restaurant, and looking at the prices on the menu, said that she calculated she had about $30,000 worth of spinach in her garden. Once at a garage sale, several people asked if they could buy the roses she had grown! A rare combination of high intelligence, practicality, and a sense of humor characterized Anna Verne's unique and enjoyable personality. On May 11, 1970, a devastating tornado hit parts of Lubbock causing widespread damage and knocking out electricity throughout the area. While most people all over Lubbock hid in closets or under mattresses, Anna Verne realized that without power the ice cream in their refrigerator would melt, so she went to the freezer, and began to eat the ice cream! Following her retirement, Anna Verne and her husband George moved to Albuquerque to be near their daughter, the Rev. Dr. Anna Catherine Robinson, her husband, the Rev. Dr. William Hedrick, and their grandson, George Hedrick, a source of constant joy and entertainment.
Anna Verne was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-one years, Dr. George W. Robinson; her sister Rosemary C. Walford; her brother, Foy Clement; and her parents. She is survived by her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, of Albuquerque, and her sister, Maxine Secker, of Fairfax, California.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Covenant Presbyterian in Albuquerque, Best Buddies New Mexico, www.bestbuddiesnewmexico.org, or the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, www.lubbocksymphony.org. Officiating at the memorial service will be the Rev. Seth Finch; the Rev. Takako Terino; and the Rev. Dr. Shelley C. Wiley.