'AUNT PEGGY' ROBINSON HELPED SHAPE GORDON PARKS' LIFE
When Margaret L. Robinson's mother died in Fort Scott in the late 1920s, she raised her youngest brother, just as her mother had wished.
Even after her brother, Gordon Parks, became an internationally known photographer and won honors for his filmmaking, writing and composing, Mrs. Robinson continued to assume the responsibility her mother had placed on her.
"It was significant that she died on Mother's Day," Gordon Parks said. "She was a very dear woman and a generous woman. She gave life to a lot of people. She kept my courage up when I needed it most, and she was instrumental with her love in keeping me going in the hard days that I spent as a youth."
Mrs. Robinson, who died Sunday in Wichita of a heart attack, was mentioned in the second of Parks' three-part autobiography, "A Choice of Weapons." The characters in the first book, "The Learning Tree," included combinations of several of his sisters and brothers, he said.
"The thing most people find about my work is my involvement with human beings and humanity and my respect for it," Parks said. "Knowing her taught me kindness and how to respect human beings. That's the most important element of my work. Peggy had a lot to do with it."
Parks, who lives in New York, was in Kansas recently taking photos of Manhattan for a Manhattan Arts Council project.
One of 15 children, Mrs. Robinson was proud of all her brothers and sisters. But, family members say, her favorite was Gordon, her only surviving sibling. "Uncle Gordon was her favorite," said her niece, Dorothea Cooksey of Wichita. "She would always let you know that Gordon Parks was her baby brother."
Mrs. Robinson was known by friends and family as Aunt Peggy because of her smile and pleasant personality, her niece said.
When Mrs. Robinson died at age 88, her niece said, the family found more than 1,000 greeting cards from her many nieces and nephews expressing their devotion to Mrs. Robinson.
Born in Fort Scott, Mrs. Robinson moved to Minnesota as a young woman.
She spent most of her life in Kansas City, Mo., where she was a domestic worker.
She married Edward Robinson in 1951 in Kansas City. He died in 1969.
Mrs. Robinson moved to Wichita in 1980 to be closer to her family, which included another brother, Clemmie Parks, who died in 1983, and five of her nieces.
Services will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Paul AME Church in Wichita.
Burial will be at 3 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Scott.
Jackson Mortuary is handling arrangements.
Wichita Eagle, The (KS)
Date: May 16, 1985
Edition: CITY EDITION
Page: 6B
Find A Grave contributor Orlena
When Margaret L. Robinson's mother died in Fort Scott in the late 1920s, she raised her youngest brother, just as her mother had wished.
Even after her brother, Gordon Parks, became an internationally known photographer and won honors for his filmmaking, writing and composing, Mrs. Robinson continued to assume the responsibility her mother had placed on her.
"It was significant that she died on Mother's Day," Gordon Parks said. "She was a very dear woman and a generous woman. She gave life to a lot of people. She kept my courage up when I needed it most, and she was instrumental with her love in keeping me going in the hard days that I spent as a youth."
Mrs. Robinson, who died Sunday in Wichita of a heart attack, was mentioned in the second of Parks' three-part autobiography, "A Choice of Weapons." The characters in the first book, "The Learning Tree," included combinations of several of his sisters and brothers, he said.
"The thing most people find about my work is my involvement with human beings and humanity and my respect for it," Parks said. "Knowing her taught me kindness and how to respect human beings. That's the most important element of my work. Peggy had a lot to do with it."
Parks, who lives in New York, was in Kansas recently taking photos of Manhattan for a Manhattan Arts Council project.
One of 15 children, Mrs. Robinson was proud of all her brothers and sisters. But, family members say, her favorite was Gordon, her only surviving sibling. "Uncle Gordon was her favorite," said her niece, Dorothea Cooksey of Wichita. "She would always let you know that Gordon Parks was her baby brother."
Mrs. Robinson was known by friends and family as Aunt Peggy because of her smile and pleasant personality, her niece said.
When Mrs. Robinson died at age 88, her niece said, the family found more than 1,000 greeting cards from her many nieces and nephews expressing their devotion to Mrs. Robinson.
Born in Fort Scott, Mrs. Robinson moved to Minnesota as a young woman.
She spent most of her life in Kansas City, Mo., where she was a domestic worker.
She married Edward Robinson in 1951 in Kansas City. He died in 1969.
Mrs. Robinson moved to Wichita in 1980 to be closer to her family, which included another brother, Clemmie Parks, who died in 1983, and five of her nieces.
Services will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Paul AME Church in Wichita.
Burial will be at 3 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Scott.
Jackson Mortuary is handling arrangements.
Wichita Eagle, The (KS)
Date: May 16, 1985
Edition: CITY EDITION
Page: 6B
Find A Grave contributor Orlena
'AUNT PEGGY' ROBINSON HELPED SHAPE GORDON PARKS' LIFE
When Margaret L. Robinson's mother died in Fort Scott in the late 1920s, she raised her youngest brother, just as her mother had wished.
Even after her brother, Gordon Parks, became an internationally known photographer and won honors for his filmmaking, writing and composing, Mrs. Robinson continued to assume the responsibility her mother had placed on her.
"It was significant that she died on Mother's Day," Gordon Parks said. "She was a very dear woman and a generous woman. She gave life to a lot of people. She kept my courage up when I needed it most, and she was instrumental with her love in keeping me going in the hard days that I spent as a youth."
Mrs. Robinson, who died Sunday in Wichita of a heart attack, was mentioned in the second of Parks' three-part autobiography, "A Choice of Weapons." The characters in the first book, "The Learning Tree," included combinations of several of his sisters and brothers, he said.
"The thing most people find about my work is my involvement with human beings and humanity and my respect for it," Parks said. "Knowing her taught me kindness and how to respect human beings. That's the most important element of my work. Peggy had a lot to do with it."
Parks, who lives in New York, was in Kansas recently taking photos of Manhattan for a Manhattan Arts Council project.
One of 15 children, Mrs. Robinson was proud of all her brothers and sisters. But, family members say, her favorite was Gordon, her only surviving sibling. "Uncle Gordon was her favorite," said her niece, Dorothea Cooksey of Wichita. "She would always let you know that Gordon Parks was her baby brother."
Mrs. Robinson was known by friends and family as Aunt Peggy because of her smile and pleasant personality, her niece said.
When Mrs. Robinson died at age 88, her niece said, the family found more than 1,000 greeting cards from her many nieces and nephews expressing their devotion to Mrs. Robinson.
Born in Fort Scott, Mrs. Robinson moved to Minnesota as a young woman.
She spent most of her life in Kansas City, Mo., where she was a domestic worker.
She married Edward Robinson in 1951 in Kansas City. He died in 1969.
Mrs. Robinson moved to Wichita in 1980 to be closer to her family, which included another brother, Clemmie Parks, who died in 1983, and five of her nieces.
Services will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Paul AME Church in Wichita.
Burial will be at 3 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Scott.
Jackson Mortuary is handling arrangements.
Wichita Eagle, The (KS)
Date: May 16, 1985
Edition: CITY EDITION
Page: 6B
Find A Grave contributor Orlena
When Margaret L. Robinson's mother died in Fort Scott in the late 1920s, she raised her youngest brother, just as her mother had wished.
Even after her brother, Gordon Parks, became an internationally known photographer and won honors for his filmmaking, writing and composing, Mrs. Robinson continued to assume the responsibility her mother had placed on her.
"It was significant that she died on Mother's Day," Gordon Parks said. "She was a very dear woman and a generous woman. She gave life to a lot of people. She kept my courage up when I needed it most, and she was instrumental with her love in keeping me going in the hard days that I spent as a youth."
Mrs. Robinson, who died Sunday in Wichita of a heart attack, was mentioned in the second of Parks' three-part autobiography, "A Choice of Weapons." The characters in the first book, "The Learning Tree," included combinations of several of his sisters and brothers, he said.
"The thing most people find about my work is my involvement with human beings and humanity and my respect for it," Parks said. "Knowing her taught me kindness and how to respect human beings. That's the most important element of my work. Peggy had a lot to do with it."
Parks, who lives in New York, was in Kansas recently taking photos of Manhattan for a Manhattan Arts Council project.
One of 15 children, Mrs. Robinson was proud of all her brothers and sisters. But, family members say, her favorite was Gordon, her only surviving sibling. "Uncle Gordon was her favorite," said her niece, Dorothea Cooksey of Wichita. "She would always let you know that Gordon Parks was her baby brother."
Mrs. Robinson was known by friends and family as Aunt Peggy because of her smile and pleasant personality, her niece said.
When Mrs. Robinson died at age 88, her niece said, the family found more than 1,000 greeting cards from her many nieces and nephews expressing their devotion to Mrs. Robinson.
Born in Fort Scott, Mrs. Robinson moved to Minnesota as a young woman.
She spent most of her life in Kansas City, Mo., where she was a domestic worker.
She married Edward Robinson in 1951 in Kansas City. He died in 1969.
Mrs. Robinson moved to Wichita in 1980 to be closer to her family, which included another brother, Clemmie Parks, who died in 1983, and five of her nieces.
Services will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Paul AME Church in Wichita.
Burial will be at 3 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Scott.
Jackson Mortuary is handling arrangements.
Wichita Eagle, The (KS)
Date: May 16, 1985
Edition: CITY EDITION
Page: 6B
Find A Grave contributor Orlena
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