Funeral services for Elma Mae Vantrease Robinson, age 96 of Dickson, will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026 from Dickson First Methodist Church with Ed White officiating. Interment will follow in Dickson County Memorial Gardens. Visitation with the family will be on Monday from 3 until 7 p.m. and on Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. There will be an Eastern Star memorial service at 6:45 p.m. Monday, near the end of Monday’s visitation. For those desiring, memorials are suggested to Dickson First Methodist Church. Mrs. Robinson died Friday, March 6, 2026 at NHC, surrounded by her loving family.
Born in Dickson County, Elma was the daughter of the late Robert and Christine Baldwin Vantrease. She was a graduate of Charlotte High School, attended Austin Peay, and taught school for a year at the school at Jackson Chapel. Elma always loved the Methodist Church and made her profession of faith at Soules Chapel Methodist Church at the age of 12. After moving to Dickson, she joined Dickson First Methodist and served in many capacities as the head of the nursery department, the superintendent of the Sunday School department and as an active volunteer of the children’s department as her family grew. Elma worked for many years as a valued member of the ASCS office (Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service) which handles farm programs, loans, and conservation. It later merged to become the Dickson County Farm Service Agency connected closely with the USDA Service Center. After her retirement from that office, she worked many years as the Greeter at Walmart where she cheerfully greeted their customers and assisted them in finding the various departments of the store. She had a heart for church, community, and volunteer work in addition to being a loving mother to her five children. Elma was a member and Past Matron of the Order of Eastern Star and served for many years as Treasurer. Her yard and garden flowers were well maintained and manicured and was a haven for cardinals and the other birds she loved to watch! She was a strong and hard-working lady who loved her God, her church, her family, and her community. And she did so with an angelic countenance and her ever-present smile!
In addition to her parents, she was preceded by her husband, Wallace Robinson, her sister, Marie V. Shepherd, and by her grandson, Adam Robinson.
She is survived by her five children, John R. Robinson of Dickson, Sue Robinson Higgs (Bill) of Conway, Arkansas, Annette Robinson of Dickson, Alan C. Robinson of Dickson, and Deborah Ward of Goodlettsville, Tennessee; her eight surviving grandchildren, Jana Robinson, Jack Robinson, Leah Pierce (Marc), Parker Higgs (Ginsie), Jenny Ward (Tanner), Brandon Stamper (Leslie), Bradley Stamper, and Amy Robinson; 13 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Peggy Byrn of Mayfield, Kentucky and Gladys Hunter of Clarksville, Tennessee; several nieces and nephews.
“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.” –Proverbs 31:29-31
17 Responses
So sorry to hear about your loss of Elma. She was so sweet and kind and such a good neighbor and friend to our Jones family.
To John, Sue, Annette and Deborah
I am so sorry for your loss. I had the true fortune of knowing your mom all my life. Her beautiful smile would brighten up any room. She was the ultimate Walmart greeter in every sense of the word. She raised a beautiful family. She will be missed by everyone who knew her and life she touched …. RIP dear lady. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this time and the days ahead..
Correction ..To John, Sue, Annette, Alan and Deborah
I am so sorry for your loss. I had the true fortune of knowing your mom all my life. Her beautiful smile would brighten up any room. She was the ultimate Walmart greeter in every sense of the word. She raised a beautiful family. She will be missed by everyone who knew her and life she touched …. RIP dear lady. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this time and the days ahead..
We are so sorry to hear about your precious mother, grand, great grandmother family and fried. Elma was a delightful person, always smiling wherever or whenever we saw her. A wonderful Christian, Elma exuded Jesus when she saw us, her demeanor was that of a saint. Never finding fault in anyone. She was a true and fine lady, one of our favorite persons. We grew up as neighbors, although older than us, we attended church together until she married and moved away. We have missed her over the years since she retired from Walmart. Praise God, we will see her again one day.
Sue & family, may God wrap his loving arms around the entire family. Prayers are with you all.💚🦋
Sue & family, may God wrap his loving arms around the entire family. Prayers are with you all.💚🦋
Sue & family, may God wrap his loving arms around the entire family. Prayers are with you all.💚🦋
To the entire family of Elma Robinson, my thoughts and prayers are that you receive comfort and peace from our Heavenly Father during this difficult time, I know that you are feeling blessed by the wonderful memories you share about your sweet Elma.
So sorry. Glynn thought so much of your mom. I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it to the funeral. I have a bad knee.
To all of Mrs. Elma’s children. I am so very sorry for your loss. She was so kind and gentle and she and all of you are prominent in my memories from Dickson First. Her smile said everything. Thankful for her and you all.
Cindy Noland Comer
Annette, may God give you and your family strength and comfort in the days ahead. She was a special lady. You all are in my thoughts! and prayers
She was a very kind lady and I’ll always remember her smiling face at church. I liked to chat with her when I entered Walmart and she always asked about my daughters.
So sorry for the loss of your Mother. I remember going over to her house with Kim and Alan back in the day and she was such a sweet lady. That’s how I met her family and I hold very fond memories of going there and our talks at Walmart. I wish I had known she was at NHC I would have visited. May God comfort all of you ❤️
Deborah,
I’m so sorry to hear about your sweet mama. She was a wonderful lady, and I always enjoyed seeing her. Many prayers for you and your sweet family.
Love you all! Prayers uplifted. Mrs. Elma was wonderful. Her smile!🙏🥰🙏
Cindy Noland Comer
John, Sue, Annette, Alan, and Deborah,
I was saddened to hear of the passing of your mother, whom I will remember as Aunt Elma. I had limited visits with her myself, but always found her to be a charming and warm person. She was a favorite of my late wife, Kay Gilliam, as well as her mother, the late Laurel Eugenia “Jean” Robinson Gilliam. May you all be comforted by all the good memories of times spent with your mother. I pray she rests in everlasting peace.
Sincerely,
Rick Damato
Hoschton, Ga.
We knew Mrs. Alma for many years at church and at Wal-Mart. She was a joy to know her. She was true blue, knew her job and did it well. We would talk to each other when I came in the store. How thankful her children have been to have a Christian mother like her. She was everything that God would expect. I always took her a flower for Christmas and left it on the front porch. I also sent Christmas cards. There is a lot of wonderful people in that dear old church. We always talked about the hymn singing. I can now only thank God we knew her when the long day has ended, the journey is done, I can enter my blessed abode for the Savior I loved will be waiting for me when I come to the end of the road an old hymn make me a blessing out of my life God bless that family Deborah and Jack R Young
Proverbs 3:5-6