My great Uncle, Rob Williams, who lived into his 90’s passed away this week. He was one of those old-time Vermonter’s who I absolutely adored! Rob was the eldest of the four boys on my grandfather’s side. Although related, I did not get to know Rob & Lucille and their family all that well until my early 20's. Over the past 5-10 years, I have made it a point to try to visit during Maple Open House Weekend each year or for family gatherings! This is a picture of Rob & me a few years back. Even at 90, this old boy was still eager to help come sugaring time!
I remember going up to Cornwall to visit one time when Lucille, Rob's wife, was still with us. We had a delicious meal at the farmhouse followed by Lucille's famous Maple Cookies - oh, they were the best! I also remember going up for Lucille's Celebration of Life at the farmhouse, and I loved hearing the stories about their life together when their son Kevin got up and spoke. I believe it was that day when I asked Rob how he and Lucille met so he shared the story. When Rob was a young man, he spent a lot of time at his Uncle Walter’s farm in Peru, VT and Lucille's family lived just down the road, so she used to come by the farm often to visit. He proceeded to to tell me with that infamous smile and a bit of a chuckle that he used to find Lucille somewhat of a pest when they first met. Little did Rob that know that he would one day fall in love and marry that "pesky gal from down the road". After marrying, Rob & Lucille started their life together in Ludlow, VT with a small herd of dairy cattle and a team of horses, and later re-located to the Cornwall area where they ran a dairy operation, a Christmas tree farm and a sugaring operation. More about the history of the sugaring operation here. Boy oh boy, Lucille made the best maple candy and maple cookies and to this day (yes, I am partial) Williams Maple Farm has the best tasting maple syrup boiled with wood!
Maple Treats! Yum!
Lucille & Rob on one of the many Maple Open House Weekend trips.
Lucille and Rob were a true inspiration. They worked as a team, as best friends and as lovers to achieve their goals & dreams in life and they accomplished a lot together! They enjoyed traveling & adventuring and visited Alaska as well as many other places – quite a few National Parks I believe. I remember Rob once telling me that Lucille could do everything he did – she could operate the tractor and worked right along his side through all their farming ventures together. My grandmother told me when they had the cows they were the most beautifully kept, immaculate cows she had ever seen! Maintaining a beautiful farm & dairy herd comes as no surprise to me because Lucille was the type of women who always looked so put together. Not a piece of hair out of place, she was neat as a pin and despite her petite size (she was a little peanut!) she “could do it all”. A true Vermont gal.
This is a picture I came across in my grandmother's album of Rob & Lucille in Cornwall during the holiday season.
I will miss them both so very much! Rob & Lucille were salt of the earth, hardworking, old-time Vermonter’s which are few and far between these days. I cherish the old timers that have graced my life and that I have had the privilege of knowing. There is something uniquely special about these old souls.
The Sugar House.
The sugaring operation has grown quite a bit since the early days, and I know how proud Rob & Lucille were to see the operation carried on by their children & grandchildren. For more information about Blue Ribbon Maple, visit here.
With Love & Admiration for all that Rob & Lucille accomplished and created together. Two lives, well lived with love & hard work.
Tara Williams xo
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