[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 88 (Tuesday, July 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO THE LATE TOMMIE J. ROBINSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 11, 2000

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure 
to stand before you to commemorate the memory of the late Tommie J. 
Robinson. Robinson was one of Bolton, Mississippi's oldest residents.
  Robinson, a homemaker, died of heart failure on June 23, 2000. She 
was 106 years old. To many, Robinson was the town historian. People 
from all around would come to her and say, ``What was life like in 
Mississippi 50 years ago?''
  A devoted wife and mother, Robinson worked very hard to make her 
community a better place for future generations. Formerly a member of 
Asbury United Methodist Church, Robinson later became a member of Mount 
Olive Missionary Baptist Church until her death.
  Robinson was an advocate for education in the black community. She 
encouraged black youth to seek higher education, and promoted the 
importance of reading. Robinson was very well known for her acute 
spelling ability. Many of her neighbors and friends would rely on her 
keen spelling abilities and challenge her to test her knowledge. She 
always proved triumphant.
  Mr. Speaker, Tommie J. Robinson has touched the lives of many people. 
She will be missed, and she will always be remembered by the people of 
Bolton as one who loved the state of Mississippi.

                          ____________________