Susan Elizabeth Little first met George Heber Robinson in the fall of 1883. They attended public school and Sunday School together in Kanab. Susan first remembered seeing George on a Sunday, dressed in his long tailed coat. Susan fell for him, as all little girls would. George and Susan were acquaintances for many years, while Susan also enjoyed her friendship with George's sister Nellie.
When George left for Upper Kanab at the start of the spring season to help at his father's farm, Susan said much went out of her life and she anxiously awaited his return. Once school started again, they resumed their friendship and association. At the start of each school day, Susan and George would greet each other and that was a "perfect day" for them. As winter approached, their friendship continued to grow, but their childish courtship never amounted to much and they slowly drifted apart as they became interested in other people.
As a 16 year old, Susan moved to Salt Lake to help her sister Feenie with her new baby. While living in Salt Lake, Susan took a course in dressmaking and prepared to make a living with her new skills. Her time away from Kanab also taught her that there were other, more important things than getting married at a young age. While spending 18 months in Salt Lake helped her mature, Susan was still excited to see her friends in Kanab after her time away. After her return, she was invited to a dance party in Kanab where George "Heber" was also attending. They enjoyed catching up on the months they spent apart and were very happy to learn that the other was also "free". Not long after that, Susan and Heber decided that they wanted to spend their future lives together.
Much of their courtship was spent working. Heber earned one dollar a day working in Sink Valley and Susan worked as a dressmaker. But in their free time, dancing was their principle recreation. Heber never cared much for dancing, but was happy to dance because Susan liked it.
In October 1889, Susan visited the A.D. Findlay ranch to visit her friend Addie and also to see Heber. Susan stayed one week at the ranch before Heber took her home to Kanab. Before leaving, their wagon was loaded with potatoes. The heavy load took a whole day to take back to Kanab, but their slow wagon ride on the spring seat gave them time to plan and talk about their future together. They were both very reserved and Susan commented that Heber was a very modest and sweet man. He never put his arm around Susan or kissed her during their travel time that day. Susan loved and admired Heber's respect for her. Heber was always thoughtful and kind to Susan.
They were married on February 5, 1890 after a three day wagon ride to St. George. Their sealing was performed by John C.T. McAllister in the St. George temple. Susan said, "This ended our courtship days, but not our romance. It lasted for forty eight years. Heber was my lover."
While Susan did not have a diamond ring to show after their special day, she did have a simple wedding ring. She wrote this sweet poem about her wedding ring:
My wedding ring is a golden band
On the third finger of my left hand
It is as endless, as bright and fair
As the love of the lover who placed it there.
It is a symbol 'twix him and me
Of our happiness, eternally.
Susan Elizabeth Little Robinson
Birth: 6 January 1871 ~ Eagle Valley, NV, USA
Death: 13 May 1948 ~ Kanab, UT, USA
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