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Tuesday, August 13, 2019
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Deirdre Robnett-Thames posted a condolence
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
"Mama"
Cleo Louise Hancock-Robnett was born May 20, 1939 to Cleo Elmer Hancock Sr. and Buina Leona Porter in Sharon Springs, Kansas. A town so small Google can't even find it. Cleo was one of two children. She survived her younger brother Tom. The family later moved to Denver.
Nicknamed "RED" by her grandfather because she would turn red when she got mad. "Mama called me Skeet", but I don't know why she said. But the nickname she loved best was Weezie, given to her by her uncle Leon.
Cleo came from a nice size family. Just twenty four aunts and uncles. In fact, Cleo is leaving behind three of those Aunts today. Aunt Bert, Aunt Butchie and Aunt Joyce. Cleo was born 10 days before her Aunt and best friend, Auntie Bert. Now, if you knew Aunt Bert, you could hear that southern drawl saying "Auntie Bert" and that infectious laugh.
Have you ever noticed the apartment complex off of 88th and Federal? Well, now, we don't know if it's true but supposedly that's where the Great-Grandmother, momma of 24 kids, had a farm. Cleo would relay fascinating stories, like of how when her mother Buina, made a casket out a match box for two of Buina's brothers, twins that were still born. Now we know, 24 sounds like a lot, but of those 24, Cleo only actually knew 16 of her Aunts and Uncles.
Cleo attended Whittier Elementary, Cole Middle School, and West High School.
As a young girl Cleo remembered attending Sunday school at New Hope Baptist church, then began to attended church with her aunt Ruby, and was baptized when she was 13, at Union Baptist Church. In her later years, she returned to New Hope joining with her daughters.
But let's step back to her time at Cole. Cleo would always tell the story of the Halloween she was out trick or treating in the Five Points. As Cleo would tell the story, she was "fast," thought she was cute. She knocked on a certain door on 25th and Washington. Cleo knew who lived there. The Old Man opened the door, and Cleo asked "Is John home?" The Old Man replied, "No girlie, he's out trick or treating just like you!"
Now we say "Old Man" cause that's what Daddy called him. The Old Man. And that John, Cleo was asking about, well he would later become her husband and the father of her four children. Cleo never called John, John. She called him Ed, so from here on out in our story, and just to further confuse you, we will call Daddy, well not Daddy of course, but Ed.
Cleo and Ed married on March 2nd 1957. Their love gave fruit to four children. Deirdre Kim (William) Robnett-Thames, John Edward (Alyson) Robnett, Constance Leanne (Jerome) Robnett Scott and Sandrea Kay Robnett. Ed picked out Dede's name from a book he was reading about Irish mythology. Eddie is Ed's name sake. Connie was named after a movie star. And Sandy? Well she was supposed to be named Freda.
There are so many wonderful stories we can tell you about Cleo. Ok here are a couple….
Cleo couldn't cook. A trait she passed on to Sandy. Where on earth Dede, Eddie and Connie learned to cook? Well that's a great question. Cleo couldn't cook, but she could make a MEAN gumbo. Ahhh… we all remember that gumbo. Which is hysterical, because despite Cleo's best friend, Aunt Bert having a southern accent, and Cleo's amazing ability to cook Gumbo, Cleo had not once ever stepped foot in the South. Dayton Ohio isn't considered the South is it?
Now despite Cleo's inability to cook, it was she who saved the day when Sandy tried her hand at Fejoida. That's a dish from Brazil made with black beans. Now don't think Cleo didn't put her FOOT in it, when she told Sandy what spices to add, how to prepare the pigs feet and hamhocks, and just when to add the bay leaf. When the Fejoida was done, it tasted as if it had come from any Brazilian home.
Cleo loved parades. She watched all of them! Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rose Bowl…And how many did she make her kids walk in????? Yep, Dede, Eddie and Connie were all members of a Drill Team called the DC Steppers. They marched in the rain, sleet and snow in that GOLD shinny top, that blue and gold cheerleading looking skirt, and those hard white boots that gave you blisters just looking at them. Eddie didn't have a skirt. BUT he did wear a GOLD shinny top.
Oh and here's one more. Now you may not know this, but Sandy has a LOVE for country music. Yep, it's true, she does. Sandy came home for Christmas break after her first semester at University and she mentioned to Cleo "Would you believe they tried to teach me how to two step????" Now let me set the tone. Imagine someone looking at you with one eyebrow raised and saying to you in an almost disapproving way "YOU don't know how to two step?" Well that's what Cleo said to Sandy. Cleo then proceeded to throw on some Reba McEntire and taught. It was Cleo that inspired Sandy's love for Country music. Cleo loved her some Reba and Charlie Pride. And Cleo always watched the CMA's.
Now, Cleo wasn't a huge animal lover per se. But she always let her kids have whatever pet they wanted. Mice, turtles, fish, hamsters, gerbils, too many dogs and cats to name. And we all know how kids are. They are interested in their pets about as long as they are in the first present they open on Christmas morning. So somehow, Cleo always became the caregiver to all of her kid's pets. Remember that cat Sylvester? The one that bit Cleo on the calf and she had to get a rabies shot because of it? And most of you don't know this, but there is literally a pet cemetery in the backyard of 2155 Pontiac.
Oh and here's another good one. Do you remember that time when Dede and Eddie ate an entire bottle of baby aspirin? Dede was such a good little mom, back when she was a child just as she is now. She told Cleo "Mom, you don't have to give us our medicine today. We already took it." There goes Cleo in a panic looking for the empty Baby Aspirin bottle which she found in the toy box. She rushed Dede and Eddie to the hospital and got their little stomachs pumped. To say the least, there is a reason why we now have child proof bottles.
Mama believed in encouraging unity among people, so it should be no surprise that she was Dede's Girl Scout leader from Brownies through Cadets, and of course the best one ever. Cleo was a devote member her children's school PTSA, and served as a "Philo" (meaning Friend) Club, an auxiliary to the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.
She really was a good mother, despite one cold winter day; she loaded her station wagon full of neighborhood kids to take them to school. She called out, "everyone in", YES was the reply, but she somehow left Eddie behind standing on the sidewalk.
Oh NO, we almost forgot. Cleo LOVED playing bridge. Cleo was a member of the High Rollers and she would host these bridge parties, where she would pull out the China and serve that famous gumbo. Her fellow bridge players loved when it was Cleo's turn to host.
AND GOD forbid, those HATs Cleo loved. Remember the gold one that looked like a TACO? Cleo knew she was looking sharp when she wore that hat.
And this one is the best. Cleo and her Aunts will tell the story of how they were playing cards one day. And then all of a sudden there was this stench. So Cleo and all of her Aunts get up to start checking which kid had the dirty diaper. Low and behold, one of the kids, who will go unnamed, was sitting under the card table, had pulled their diaper off…. Now we can all imagine little Miss Prissy Dede over in the corner with her face all squinted up like" Ewe…"
Mama was an avid reader, and would finish a novel while waiting when we were at Swimming or Tennis lessons. She continued this tradition, as she often accompanied Desirea' to Marching Band practice. Mama lived such a full and interesting life, creating many memorable moments, that she often thought about writing an autobiography. Although her stories were never published, she shared the experiences of her life with many, giving a wonderful gift to her family, an understand of her life and the forces that shaped her. Her memories, along with our memories, will preserve a legacy worth sharing.
Dede, Eddie and Connie all blessed Cleo with four loving grandchildren. Dede is the mother or Desirea Tania and Torin Armon Thames. Eddie is the father to Ryen Michelle Robnett and Connie is the mother of Gary Michael Russell II. And Sandy? Well she is keeping with the Robnett tradition of raising stray cats in the backyard.
Desirea and Gary have given Cleo four GREAT Grandchildren. Desirea is the proud mother of twins, Dominique Sophia and Aerika Giselle. Twins you might say? Well remember…24! Yeah, it's in the genes. And Gary is the proud father of Gary Michael Russell III and Jessiah Yvette Russell.
Cleo was a loving Aunt to Jimi Nevels, Tyrone Hocker, Mark Hocker, Alan Robnett, Gary Obligacion, Buina Denyce Moore and many others relatives.
Cleo took her final breath on Monday, February 04, 2013. Dede and her husband Ronnie were with Cleo as she passed on. We all take comfort in knowing that Cleo is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that she never suffered, and that now in heaven she can watch over and keep us safer than she ever could have here on earth.
We thank you all for coming and enjoying just a few moments of Cleo's life with us. It is always wonderful to have a parent around, but it is even more so precious to be able to celebrate their life with such fond memories.
E
Eugene Long posted a condolence
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
To the Robnett family my deepest sympathy and condolences go out to you in thie time of sorrow,Gene and April.
