Thelma Louise Robins

Thelma Louise Robins, 94, entered the Kingdom of Heaven on April 28, 2025. Thelma lived in Salem, Oregon and passed away at Dallas Retirement Village, Dallas, Oregon where she was recuperating from a recent surgery.

Thelma was born on July 30,1930 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to John Theodore and Deli Mae. Thelma was the third of five children, and one of four girls. When Thelma was young the family moved from Oklahoma to Los Angeles and eventually settled in Colton, California where Thelma graduated from Colton High School with perfect attendance.

Deli Mae and her family were active members in the Colton Foursquare Church where Thelma met a young skinny Marine named William Lester Robins “Bill.” Thelma and Bill would be married in that church less than three months after meeting and would soon start a family.

As a newly married woman, Thelma continued to work at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California while her husband was stationed at Camp Pendleton. Once Bill and Thelma began to have children, Thelma stopped working and they moved from Colton to San Bernardino where, except for a few years the family lived in Denver, Colorado, they would live until retirement. Once Bill and Thelma, retired they relocated to Bill’s hometown of Salem, Oregon.

Thelma was always active in her church. When relocating to Salem, Bill and Thelma became members of Westgate Assembly of God, now known as Family Life Church. Over the years, Thelma volunteered in the office, sang in the choir, was an active member of Primetimers, regularly attended Sunday services and any other opportunity for fellowship.

Thelma loved to travel and camp and she and Bill had many wonderful adventures. Once Bill passed away in 1997, Thelma continued to travel with church and tour groups and even convinced her reluctant daughter to take a trip to New York City where the two were lucky enough to see the Rockettes perform.

Thelma was an active participant in her church and in life. When her body was strong, she was always on the move. When the weather was nice, she was out in her yard doting over her flowers and pulling weeds. After the chores were done and after church services, it was time for ballgames. Thelma’s love of sports is legendary. She developed a love of baseball and knowledge of the game after being Team Mother for her sons’ Little League team. But it wasn’t just baseball, it was football too. There weren’t too many sporting events she wasn’t interested in, but her all-time favorite teams were The Dodgers and The Broncos.

Thelma is survived by her son John of Highland, California, her daughter and son in law, Dianne and Daniel Majors of Salem, Oregon, her daughter in law, Mariana Robins of Salem, Oregon, her step grandchildren, Jason, Cindy and Tammy, 3 great-grandchildren, 3 great great-grandchildren, and her sister Betty Kruse of Westminster, California. Thelma was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, William Lester Jr. (Bill), her son William Lester III, (Rob), her parents, her sisters Georgia and Nelda, and her brother Charles.

A service will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 11 AM at Family Life Church in Salem, Oregon. Thelma had a generous heart and made donations to many charitable organizations. Among those with special meaning are Special Olympics of Oregon and Union Gospel Mission. Virgil T. Golden’s in Salem is handling funeral arrangements.