Mary Robinson is a person well known and beloved by many Douglas residents.  Say her name to anyone whose family has resided here for more than a generation and they’re likely to share a fond anecdote of their personal experience with her.  A news article about her has been frequently requested in the past; however, she has often politely turned down a request for an interview.

Photo by C. Quevedo/THE DAILY DISPATCH The Lifetime Contributions award was presented to longtime Douglas resident Mary Robinson, 98, at the Douglas Chamber of Commerce banquet on Saturday, July 28th, 2007. The award recognizes Robinson for her efforts and commitment to the Douglas community throughout her life. Pictured from left to right is Chamber member Ray Rodgers, Mary Robinson and Chamber President Margaret Morales.

Simply put, Mary Robinson doesn’t like talking about herself.

Although many people would disagree with her, she feels that people would not be interested in her life and certainly doesn’t want to come off as bragging in any way shape or form.  She is more at ease sharing stories about the people she has been fortunate to encounter in her life.

However, by sharing the stories of the people in her life, one learns a great deal about Mary Robinson and just how inspiring she can be.  “None of us is perfect. I’ve always felt that seeing your name in the paper is showing off.  I learned that what I did for others, the goodwill towards others, without a lot of flash, I felt better,” she says.

“I haven’t lived the life of the average person.  I found more interest in people who were very different.  What happens in the world is that most of the people conform, but I believe that God made us all different.  You don’t have to be like everyone else.”

Mary Hickok Robinson was born in 1909 in Cananea, Mexico.  The political turmoil in Mexico put anyone who was rich or considered American at risk of losing their lives. Her father was American and worked as an engineer at the mine in Cananea, so he brought his family to Douglas when she was one year old. Many of the families that fled Cananea ended up moving close to each other and their children attended the same schools.

Because her family had moved to 7th Street, she attended one of the first schools built in Douglas, a two-story wood structure that was located a block away on the 800 block of 7th Street. She remembers when it burned down when she was seven years old. At the time the fire alarm consisted of banging loudly on a wash pan. When the alarm was sounded two teachers, the Kelly sisters, had decided they had already run down the stairs enough times for the drills and only sent the students out this time. This time, however, it wasn’t a drill. When they tried to escape, the stairs had started to burn, so they had to take off their big skirts just to make it down the stairs to safety. Needless to say were fired immediately.

Mary then had to transfer to Clawson, an American school that had recently been built.  At that time there weren’t any Mexican children attending this school and until the fire, there had been a definite separation of Mexican children from American children.  She remembers being put in a ring of children walked around her and pointed saying ‘greaser, greaser, greaser,’ as the teachers stood off to the side and watched. “That was my first experience in the schools of the United States with American children,” recalls Mary. “You can’t erase things like that, but you have to have a sense of humor.  My mother taught me that they will learn and to just walk away.”

Later, she told her parents that she wouldn’t be going to school anymore, which came as a shock to them because they knew she loved learning.  Her mother taught her Spanish, her father taught her English, Latin and some French as well as how to type by seven years old.  Learning was very important to her parents and they made sure she studied.  Mary told them ‘I don’t care if you whip me all day, I’m not going to school.’ After her parents found out what had happened, her father went to the Justice of the Peace, who then gathered the doctors and school administrators. In those days doctors regularly served on the school boards.  They also called in the school principal, Mrs. Hinaman, who knew what had happened, as well as the teachers who stood by watching and laughing.  The judge had Mary recount what had happened and the principal was fired.  From then on, none of the children made fun of Mary or the parents would have been contacted. Douglas at that time had more Mexicans than Americans, but that didn’t stop the prejudices that existed. She did continue school, graduating from high school, eventually attending and graduating from the teachers college in Tempe.

After graduating from teachers college, she returned to Douglas to teach.  She first taught at the new 7th Street school because that was where most of the Mexican children attended and many didn’t know English.  They needed bilingual teacher to teach these students English and having good language skills is very important.  Mary believes that education is very important, regardless of who or how old you are.  Even to this day, she continues to teach, helping people to improve themselves by learning to speak better English and Spanish and encouraging them to continue learning and to read more.

“I like to teach.  I was very strict.  There wasn’t one child that I permitted to say one word without permission,” says Mary.  “One of the important things for a teacher is to make sure not to break down a child’s originality. It takes thinking to teach a child. You have to love what you’re doing. What I have learned is that you don’t know as much as you think you do. I do know that there have been a great change in the homes. In the past, the fathers and mothers took care of their children.  The parents now aren’t doing it. The children are left alone too much. What I’m learning now is that children aren’t learning. There aren’t doctors serving on the school boards anymore.”

In addition to continuing her work helping others improve their education, Mary had been active helping the poor in any way she can.  She is honored to have worked with a special group of people who were responsible for establishing the Douglas Food Bank.  When the smelter closed it became apparent that something would need to be done to help the affected workers and the poor in the area. The idea of the food bank to serve Douglas and Pirtleville was developed and organized.  Father Ruiz, Dr. Causey, Luciano Gonzales, ministers from different churches and many members of the community all worked together establishing the Food Bank as an entity that would serve the area for years.

Mary remembers how it brought people from all walks of life together to help out.  It wasn’t a case of the rich giving to the poor.  It wasn’t a case of society.  It was simply a group of people working together to accomplish this. Doctors, teachers, lawyers, ministers, retired people, unemployed people, young people and old people all worked toward this one goal.

“The atmosphere was pleasant,” says Mary.  “The background of the food bank was one of the finest things I have worked on.  The food bank was successful because people could see that it was actually helping people, that it wasn’t set up by people only in it to help themselves.  There’s a psychology in giving.  People feel so much better when they learn that the person giving them things are happy to be able to help them and that if they can help in any way then they should try to help out any way they can. When you work to help others, you become a better person. When you had the doctors helping at the Food bank, I felt that they were better doctors because they saw the poverty of poor people they wouldn’t get to see in their offices.  Your mind expands. The fact that it is a good solid place, that alone is very nice.“

At 98 years, Mary’s mind is still sharp and her observations skills are keen. She is happy to have visitors and share stories about the people who have touched her life and if your interested, she will share her opinions on things, even if it may not be what you want to hear. “I’m sad about the state of the United States.  Being rich has become more important than just helping people.  Teachers aren’t teaching as well as they should.  The clergy isn’t preaching as well as they should.  There is a lot of weakness in the United States. More value is given to money than the worth of the individual. I would say that I never lived a life where I spent more than I got.  What you have to do in life is that what you feel is right you have to go ahead and do it and that what you feel is wrong you just have see to it that you don’t do it,” says Mary

When talking to her, it becomes apparent that it means a great deal to see her former students when they are successful adults.  As sad as she may be at the loss of many people from her life, she is happy to share her memories of them with others so that they too can know these wonderful people as well.  Mary Robinson may not like seeing her name in the paper, but if you pay attention, you might learn something from her.