Gabe Stark
The Trenton Telegraph

The Robinson family of Trenton may not have a plaque, certificate or official record book to prove it — yet — but if Mark Robinson is right, their family could be one of a kind.

Robinson, who turned 75 on Feb. 18, said he and his eight brothers and sisters believe they may be the oldest set of nine siblings in America who are all still living.

The Robinson siblings range in age from 75 to 87, with the oldest recently turning 87 and Robinson, the youngest, celebrating his birthday. Mark said seven of the nine siblings still live in the Trenton area, keeping the family close even decades after they grew up together in the small Grundy County community of Tindall.

“I’ve Googled it, and I can’t find any family older in the United States,” Mark said.

For the Robinsons, the talk of records comes with plenty of humor, but their story is rooted in something much simpler — a crowded childhood, a determined mother and a house that was rarely quiet.

They were raised in Tindall, which family members recall as far busier in their youth than it is today. The siblings remember a time when the town had multiple churches, two gas stations and a steady flow of neighborhood kids.

In fact, the Robinson home often became the gathering place for much of the community’s youth. Family members said it wasn’t unusual to have dozens of kids around at once — sometimes as many as 45 packed into the yard and house on a Sunday afternoon.

“Everybody in the community came to our house because they knew there was someone there,” one sibling said.

Life inside the Robinson household was busy and, at times, tight on money, but the family said their mother made sure no one went hungry. She baked homemade bread because it was cheaper than store-bought, stretched meals and fed whoever happened to be nearby — which was often a lot of people.

“We didn’t necessarily have the food we wanted, but she always had food made for us,” Roberta said.

Growing up in Tindall meant chores and making do. The family raised chickens and relied heavily on homegrown vegetables. When it came time for new shoes, their mother would trace each child’s foot on cardboard before heading to town to be sure every pair fit.

Like most big families, the Robinson siblings admit they didn’t always see eye to eye as children.

“We would get in fights like all siblings do, but we couldn’t hold grudges because we never knew what we were fighting about,” Nolan said.

They also described their mother’s firm but memorable way of settling disputes.

“Mom had a leather belt, not that wide, with no buckle,” Mark said.

“It hung on the kitchen door, and after she yelled at us about three times, it was like three strikes and we were all out. She would come out of the kitchen with that belt and start swinging it, and it didn’t matter who she was hitting — neighbors or us — she would keep swinging that belt until we all stopped,” he said.

Today, the memories are shared with laughter — the kind that comes easily to a family that clearly enjoys telling on one another.

Rodger recalled sneaking green beans straight from a pan their mother had prepared for dinner, then handing the fork to his sister Rita, who got in trouble for the crime.

Another sibling remembered that during part of their childhood the family didn’t have running water in the house.

“Only when it rained,” Gerald said.

Despite the challenges, the Robinsons speak about their upbringing with affection. They credit their longevity to a mix of good home cooking, strong family ties and one shared personality trait.

“We’re all very outspoken, so we don’t keep anything bad in,” Mark said.

The family remains closely connected today. Seven of the nine siblings still live in the Trenton area, and their annual family reunion typically draws 55 to 60 relatives and in-laws.

Whether or not the Robinsons ultimately land in a national record book, their story has already become something special in Grundy County — nine siblings, all still living, still gathering and still telling the same well-worn stories.

For Mark Robinson, celebrating his 75th birthday surrounded by the brothers and sisters he grew up with in Tindall, the milestone was less about age and more about what the family has managed to hold onto.

Nine siblings. One small-town upbringing. And a lifetime of stories that just keep getting better with time.