Dennis Craig Robison's Obituary
Dennis was born at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Centerville, Iowa on March 30, 1955 to parents, Harold & Harriet (McDonald) Robison. He was the first born of seven children. He accepted the Lord Jesus as his savior at a Jerry Beltz revival service in 1965 at the age of 10. He was baptized upon completing baptismal classes & became a member of the First Baptist Church Corydon, & later Marshalltown then Knoxville, IA.
He was raised on the family farm 4.5 miles northwest of Corydon just down the road from the old County home where he & his siblings created special friendships with the residents. He enjoyed the country life, especially fishing & the raising of different breeds of chickens & dogs (the latter being three breeds for breeding & sale) alongside his Mother. Not only did this create extra pocket money, but kick started his life's journey in the love of raising, breeding & training of animals. He was active in the Baptist youth group & camps, band, FFA, & the Benton 4-H club. He especially enjoyed showing his shorthorn cattle competing at the Wayne County Fairs. He attended Cambria-Corydon schools until 1971 when his Father was forced to leave farming due to health issues. A new home was built in Corydon to accommodate the large family of nine. He attended the Corydon schools & lived there for only two years due to his Father's first promotion to State Center, Iowa. Dennis attended his final two years of high school, graduating from West Marshall High. The family then moved to Knoxville, IA in the summer of 1973 when his Father was once again promoted, this time to the position of Farm Bureau Insurance Manager.
Dennis had a lifetime love of animals; raising specialty breeds of chickens, chinchillas, show rabbits & show dogs. However, his greatest passion was horses, which he devoted his life's work too.
After graduation, he relocated to the rural outskirts of Chicago, IL where he was employed for many years at Millcreek Farm, specializing in thoroughbred horses. He relocated to Kentucky in 2001 with Meadowdale Farm. He was farm manager for their two farms until 2014, when the business closed.
Dennis was a prominent Shetland Pony breeder (Grasmere Stable) producing numerous national grand champions. He was a longtime member of the American Shetland Pony Club & served as a member of the Board of Directors & President of the organization.
Dennis was an avid gardener & horticulturist, antique enthusiast, gourmet cook & history buff.
He enjoyed the Kentucky Derby & its flare, sharing cultural awareness & hosting family & friends for the annual events.
Toward his later life, he devoted 15 years to traveling & researching his family genealogy, even discovering family roots as a decendent to Queen Elizabeth.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold & Harriet, maternal grandparents, Harry & Leila McDonald of Chariton, IA & his paternal grandparents Ximena & Clarence Robison of Corydon.
Left to mourn & celebrate his life are his six siblings, Marcia Johnson, Carolyn Wilson, Kendall (Heidi) Robison, Mary Maier, Deborah (Ross) Pesch & Mark Robison, Stepmother Beverly Robison, Great Aunt Jean Halferty & Uncle Dr. Harry Robison. He is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins & friends.
Funeral services will be held Monday, April 14, 2025 at 10 AM at the Thomas Funeral Home in Corydon with internment to follow at the Corydon Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest by his Grandparents Robison. Visitation will be held Sunday, April 13, 2025 at Thomas Funeral Home in Corydon from 4 PM to 6 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family in honor of Dennis's memory and mailed to Thomas Funeral Home 303 E. Jefferson Corydon, Iowa 50060. Condolences may be shared on our website at www.thomasfh.com or facebook.com/thomasfuneralhome.
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