Calhoun County Schools Asst Superintendent Kelli Whytsell
joins Edna Yoak Robinson (front left) along with Kathy
Taylor, Anne Monterosso, Kevin Robinson and Michael
Robinson to announce the Edna Yoak Robinson Fund for Education
The family and friends of longtime educator Edna Robinson have established a charitable fund honoring her dedication to furthering early childhood education in Calhoun County.
Growing up on a farm on Pleasant Hill, Mrs. Robinson and her eight siblings learned the value of education from their parents, Ollie and Elias Yoak. Edna Robinson graduated from Glenville State College in 1955, but even before graduation, she had begun assisting her father in his duties as School Master at several one and two-room schoolhouses around the county.
"I remember having to catch the outbound school bus from Grantsville and ride it to the end of White Pine, and then hike over the mountain to substitute teach for Dad at the Oak Hill School," Robinson said. "Dad was pretty ill at the time and they didn't want to make all the kids sick. It was quite a hike but I made it in time."
While at Glennville State College, she taught at both Sand Fork and Glenville schools and upon graduation, she continued her passion for teaching at Cabot Station's two-room schoolhouse. After successful tenures teaching in North Carolina and Massachusetts, Mrs. Robinson returned to Calhoun County, helping to nurture young minds while teaching at Minnora and finally Pleasant Hill Elementary. During her tenure at Pleasant Hill Elementary, Robinson touched the lives of hundreds of Calhoun County students (now residents) and was recognized as Teacher of the Year in 2004. In 2005, Robinson retired from Pleasant Hill Elementary.
"I tried my best to not only teach the curriculum," Robinson said, "but also to help the children develop the qualities necessary for them to become responsible citizens."
Mrs. Robinson's dedication to educating the youth in Calhoun County will continue forever thanks to the Edna Yoak Robinson Fund for Education established by her children with the Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation (LKACF), a regional affiliate of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF). The Fund was created to support early childhood education and youth education programs in Calhoun County, WV, with preference for support to requests and needs from Pleasant Hill Elementary School and surrounding community.
"I have the utmost respect for Mrs. Robinson and what she has accomplished," said Ron Blankenship, former Gilmer and Calhoun School Superintendent. "She was an outstanding educator and a real task master. She has had a significant impact on the lives of many in our community, and through this fund, will continue to do so."
Persons who wish to honor Mrs. Robinson can make a charitable gift to the Edna Yoak Robinson Fund for Education by mailing a check (payable to the PACF with fund name on memo line) to PACF, PO Box 1762, Parkersburg, WV 26102-1762. Other forms of donation may be made by calling the Foundation's office at 304.428.4438.
