by Melba Robbins Treseder, his daughter 

Cyrus William Robbins was born 5 October 1849 in West Bromwick, Stafforshire, England. His parents were Edward Robbins, Jr. and his mother was Nancy, sometimes called Ann McCallister. 

My father Cyrus William Robbins had 3 brothers, James, Joseph, and Edward. Edward died as a child. Father had three sisters, Mary, Sarah and Jane. Sarah and Jane died when they were children. His parents heard and embraced the gospel in England and also his grandmother Robbins. 

His father left his family before my father was born and came to the United States to earn money to send for his family. He came to New Orleans first and then on up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. He worked there for about 5 years and finally had saved almost enough money for the transportation of his family to come to America where they would join in with him, but just before he sent for them he came down with the dreaded cholera and passed away in St. Louis. His friends had known of his plans and gathered the money together and sent it to my grandmother so that she could come to America. 

My father told us that he could remember just a little about crossing the big ocean. He said his grandmother used to read a bit to them every evening in the boat from the Bible. 

They came by way of New Orleans and on up the great Mississippi to St. Louis. He recalls watching the big paddle on the rear of the boat, turning and turning as the boat moved up the great stream. 

At St. Louis, they joined the Company of Captain Milo Andrus, arriving in the Salt lake Valley and City, on October 24, 1855. 

It was while crossing the plains that a great sorrow came into the family when my grandmother Robbins became very ill and passed away. My father loved her very deeply. It must have been a very sad experience for such a little boy to have to part with his mother. She was buried near Laramie, Wyoming. He told us that on that journey there were many nights on the plains when all they would have for their evening meal was potatoes boiled with their jackets on and a bit of butter that had formed on the top of the milk. 

The following spring on 28 April 1856 his father passed away, leaving them fatherless and motherless, they were now orphans.  

His oldest brother James became dissatisfied with working conditions in Salt Lake City and decided to go back east to find work. After some days of journeying, my Uncle Jim decided to go back to Salt lake City and try to persuade his wife to go back east with him. While my Uncle Jim was gone my father became lost from the company. He was lost for a week in the vicinity of what became Mantua, Utah. He [Uncle Jim] did not learn that my father was lost until he caught up with the company which was now a long way from Utah. Luckily, a family by the name of Maughn found my father and took him to their home in Wellsville and cared for him, until other members of his family living in Provo heard of the little boy being found, and hearing from the older brother. Jim went and saw him and identified him as their lost brother. 

During the early days, father worked for Wells Fargo. He drove freight teams and wagons from Corrine, Utah into Montana. 

He married Elizabeth Arbon, daughter of John Cavelor Arbon. They were married in Malad, Idaho and opened a grocery store there. From this marriage came five children. His wife Elizabeth died from childbirth with the fifth child and the baby also died. He later married Martha Rebecca Arbon, granddaughter of John Cavelor and daughter of his son Charles Arbon and Martha Roberts Arbon. From this second marriage my mother gave birth to 10 children. One died just after birth. They made their home in Snowville, Box Elder County, Utah. My mother passed away 30 September 1904 leaving my father a widower for the second time. He now became both father and mother to our large family. He never remarried again. Father taught us honesty, love, and patience, and gossip was never allowed within his hearing. We respected and loved him for the teachings he gave to us while we were growing up. At his funeral one of the speakers made the remark that father had remained loyal to his covenants. At the time I did not understand too well the meaning of that statement, but now that I am older I think that was a very fine tribute. My father sang in a quartet with Evan Stephens and he was a good ballroom dancer. He loved to direct and act in stage plays and [did] quite a bit of this in the Malad and Snowville Wards. 

Father passed away 26 February 1927 at the age of 77. 

I am the next to the youngest of his children. He has a large posterity and it is still increasing. 

(Four pictures on the back of the first page. Picture a couple sitting. Description says: Cyrus William Robbins Born – 5 Oct 1849, Died – 1 Mar 1927, Married – 4 Oct 1872 to Elizabeth Rebecca Arbon (1) Born – 4 Aug 1856, Died – 4 Apr 1883. Daughter of John Cavelor Arbon and Rebecca Dennis.  

Small portrait of a woman. 2nd marriage. Martha Rebecca Arbon. Born – 29 Oct 1865, Married – 15 July 1883, Died – 30 Sep 1904. Daughter of Charles & Martha Roberts Arbon. 

Snapshot of an older man in a rocking chair. Description says: Cyrus W. Robbins in later life. 

Headshot portrait of an older couple. Description says: Golden Wedding picture January 1952 of daughter Agnes Rebecca (daughter of Elizabeth Rebecca Arbon) and husband James Wallwork) 

I have written a lot of this from memory and other information I have taken from Genealogical records. 

Melba Robbins Treseder – 1971 

Postscript: 

As a small boy I distinctly remember Uncle Cyrus and his lovely and unusual family. I remember him as both mother and father to them. My mother tells us (Aunt Marion Arbon, wife of John Arnold Arbon) that Melba is an almost duplicate of her grandmother Martha Roberts Arbon, wife of our grandfather Charles Arbon. Their long log-roomed home has long since gone from the lot, just across the street north of the remaining yellow brick school house in Snowville. I have returned to this home sight several times and though there were none of these precious children there, in my memory I have heard again their precious voices and the patter of children’s feet. I do not know why but this I have experienced. 

Theodore Arbon.