Hildegard Robbins

Hildegard Robbins, 89, returned to her heavenly home on Friday, June 10, 2022 at her residence in Surprise, Arizona. Hildegard Pfarrer was born in Bamberg, Germany on May 12, 1933 and grew up during the hardships of WW II. She remembered the hunger, fear and many nights of taking shelter during bombings. Despite the adversity of those times, as a child Hildegard was surrounded by a loving extended family, and she learned to knit, sew and dance. She recalled the end of the fighting on her twelfth birthday, May 12, 1945. After the war, Hildegard became an accomplished seamstress as an apprentice in Bamberg, graduating with top honors. In her youth, she became very fashion conscious and designed and sewed many of her own clothes, at times from leftover military woolens. Her ladies’ trousers were quite stylish and fashion-forward for the early 1950’s. In 1952, she met a young American private stationed in Bamberg who became her life-long sweetheart. Hildegard married Arlyn Robbins of La Prairie, Illinois on March 9, 1953 in a small ceremony on the Army base. They honeymooned in Mittenwald, Bavaria, after which Arlyn flew back to the States to make arrangements for Hildegard’s immigration. She came to America by the spring, and Hildegard started a new chapter of her life from cultured “city gal” to a “farmer’s wife” on a west central Illinois grain and livestock farm. She not only had to learn a new language, but she also learned to garden, can the many different types of produce and meats, cook American-style, and withstand humid summers, tornados, and ragweed. She helped drive the tractor and take grain to the elevator in the fall, but Hildegard’s real strength was in the kitchen where she always cooked delicious meals for the hired hands that came to help Arlyn. Everything was made from scratch in those days. Hildegard was blessed with the talent to create beautiful things. She brought her own treadle sewing machine from Germany to which Arlyn attached a motor. She spent many hours sewing clothing for herself and her two children. She made many colorful afghans and quilts which she gifted to family and friends. Hildegard sewed and knitted hundreds of Barbie and Ken outfits, as well as Cabbage Patch outfits, which she displayed and sold at area craft fairs. Hildegard was also a fierce competitive swimmer in the breaststroke. She competed in several Senior Olympic trials and even went to Nationals in 1995. She kept her numerous medals and was quite proud of her swimming accomplishments. Faith always played an important role in Hildegard’s life. She was a member of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Camp Point, Illinois, and later a member of St. Michael’s in Canon City, Colorado. Arlyn and Hildegard made Colorado their home for many years, first building a cabin in Woodland Park, and then later moving to Canon City where they made many friends. They also enjoyed traveling the country in their RV, and being “snow birds” in Tucson and Casa Grande, Arizona. Surviving Hildegard is her husband Arlyn of Surprise, AZ; her sister Ursula Testa of Fort Mill, SC; her children Larry (Karen) Robbins of La Follette, Tennessee and Katie (Wendell) Iverson of Surprise, AZ.; and her many loving nieces and nephews. Hildegard was preceded in death by her mother Elizabeth Pfarrer. The family would like to thank all the caregivers at Orchard Point Assisted Living and Memory Care as well as Hospice of the Valley for their loving kindness and compassion toward Hildegard. Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Disease Research or Operation Smile, and condolences may be left at DignityMemoral.com.