What I know or think I know about Robert Gordon

Robert Gordon was born in Glascow, Scotland. He was one of five children. Three of the children lived to see North America and two deceased by that time. His mother was named Jane. His father was named James. His living siblings at the time of the move to the United States were James and Annie. His father was killed in a mining accident in Glascow. Robert moved his mother, sister and brother to North America after his father’s death. They first arrived in North America in Halifax, Nova Scotia and later moved to the United States. Robert helped raise and support his brother and sister. After they were sufficiently independent, he returned to school and was educated as a Baptist minister. Robert later met and married Edith Thoms. Their union produced ten children consisting of five girls and five boys. Robert was periodically transferred to different towns that included: Topeka, KS; Milwaukee, WI and Fond Du Lac, WI. During the “War to end all wars” Robert was a part of the American Expeditionary Force as a chaplain. Examples of some of the titles of his sermons included: Fun in a Family of Ten, A Sky Pilot Flies and Reflects and many others. Many of Robert’s letters and sermons may be found in either the Washington Island archives or in the monograph produced for the 1992 family reunion by Ann Gordon and Linda Cantrell.

Robert was an avid fisherman and loved fishing with his brother James. He was a quiet man who did not smoke or drink. James on the other hand was just the opposite. He drank, smoked, gambled and caroused. However, the brothers, despite their differences, were devoted to each other.