JOHN MARCUS ROBINSON

MUSCATINE, Iowa – John Marcus Robinson, 89, passed away on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at Trinity UnityPoint Health.

Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at the Zion Lutheran Church. Pastor Willie Rosin will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 24, 2024, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran Church, Muscatine High School baseball, or L&M High School baseball. Online Condolences may be made at www.wittichfuneralhome.com.

John was born on January 20, 1935, in Lone Tree, the son of William and Elsie Schmitt Robinson.

John moved with his family to West Liberty for a year. Then Gage Kent Sr., founder of Kent Feeds, talked his dad, William, into moving to Muscatine to help him with his feed business. There were only five people then who worked for Gage. William and others brought in the raw materials to Muscatine, mixed them together in a kind of feed, and went out into the Muscatine area, (farms) and sold the feed to the farmers to feed cattle and hogs. They had one truck, then two, then three, and so on. They were not all new. When the men sold the feed, they also collected the money and took it into the office located with a storage area on the Muscatine River front. Gage used the river and barges to conduct his business. Some of the raw materials he remembered Gage used were fish bones, orange peelings, ground up bones, meat, alfalfa, and meat factory leftovers ground into black food dust. John was sure Gage added other things but didn’t know what they were.

John went to Zion Lutheran School for eight years from 1941 through 1949. He then went to Muscatine High School where he graduated in 1953. While in high school, he participated in baseball, track, and basketball. After high school, he enrolled at Wartburg College for one semester, and then transferred to Muscatine Junior College, and graduated from there in 1955. While at MJC, John was on a state Championship basketball team and was named to the first team all-state in his sophomore year. He played two years of baseball at MJC, lettering both years. John went to the UOI for one year from 1956-1957. In the fall of 1957, he entered Parson College where he played two years of college baseball lettering both years. John graduated from Parson in 1958. He taught school from his first year of teaching at Wilton Jr. High School. He taught for a number of years at Muscatine High School, then taught at Wapello High School, and then completed his teaching career at L-M High School. He retired in 1996 after 38 years of teaching.

John had some good things happen to him. He joined the National Guard when he was 16 years old. He advanced from a private, to a corporal, to a staff sergeant in four years. A thrill he never forgot was to sing “Jody” with a small squad, with their Muscatine Company “C”, and finally in a full base parade with three states represented in Nebraska, he sang “Jody” for their battalion, four full companies marching to a base parade with four hundred men in full uniform. John blurted out, “Jody was there when you left”, and four hundred men replied in unison, “your left” and their left foot hit the ground after he sang out “Jody”. He thought that was such a thrill. Each time John sang out, they sang out to his words. That story always sent the chills up and down his spine.

John had pitched in two World Tournaments: one in semi pro baseball when Muscatine Red Sox won the Iowa State semi pro baseball tournament in 1959. They went to the National semi pro baseball tournament in Wichita, Kansas. He went to one win and no losses as he beat the state championship team from Colorado, 7-3 in 9 innings. He was fortunate to play on a championship fast pitch team which one the Illinois State fast pitch tournament played in Aledo, Illinois in 1970.

He pitched a fast pitch softball game in Bakersfield, California, but lost the game to the state champion from Wisconsin. Not too many men in America have pitched in two world championship tournaments of different sports.

John bowled for fifteen years in Muscatine and his team placed in first place in 13 of those years.

John was elected as a Park Commissioner to the City of Muscatine two times by the citizens of Muscatine. Along with two other park commissioners, they were in charge of Weed Park, the Weed Park Zoo, Kent Stein Park, and as well as nine neighborhood parks in Muscatine. He ran for the city council and was elected to a “Councilman at large” post for a two-year term.

John was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and was elected to the church board on three occasions. He helped restart community theater in Muscatine in 1960 with the formation of Muscatine Masquers. John acted and produced many shows for the Masquers, and he served on the Muscatine Community Colleges Alumni Board for many years. He played on the Muscatine Red Sox semi pro baseball team, managed the team, and then became the owner and general manager of the Muscatine Red Sox in 2005. He joined a group of men and women called the Civil War Memorial Committee, which replaced the old soldier with a new one on July 2nd, 2011, and had the governor of the State of Iowa here for the dedication ceremonies.

John married a music teacher, Susan Young, in 1967. They have four children, Wendy, Nicole, Crisy, and Bill. They have ten grandchildren, Colton Steele (Danielle), Gabriella Steele, Alexandria Steele, Cole True, Brock True, Julia Saele, Anna Saele, Alyssa Saele, Reese Robinson, and Katelyn Robinson. They have one great grandchild, Brinley Steele. John has three sons-in-law, Joe Saele, Mike Steele, and Tyson Koch. He has a daughter in law, Kellie Robinson.

John was the director for the state semi pro baseball organization. It is called “The Iowa State Baseball Association”. There are only six directors for the whole state of Iowa.

John was the chairman of the Muscatine Civil War Education Committee, which lectures in schools in the Muscatine County.

He was the chairman of the Alexander Clark Scholarship Committee for Muscatine Community College.

John was the owner of the Muscatine Red Sox baseball team which plays in a semi pro baseball league in Clinton, Davenport, the Quad Cities, and Muscatine.

John was a member of the Purple and Gold Muscatine High School Sports Organization.

John was a retired teacher and coach for the Muscatine area. He taught high school English and Speech. He also coached baseball, basketball, track, directed high school plays, coached competitive speech, and was in charge of publishing a school newspaper. John served as a Muscatine Park Commissioner for ten years and also served two years on the Muscatine City Council. He specialized in residential and commercial real estate.

John is survived by his wife, Susan, and his children.

He is preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Ardell Robinson, Kathleen Robinson, Marcelene Robinson; granddaughter, Autumn True; grandson, Zachary John Cummins; and brother, Harold Robinson.