Julia Ann Robb

Julia Ann Robb, an award-winning journalist and veteran novelist, passed away peacefully at her Marshall, Texas, home on April 15, after a several-month struggle with pancreatic cancer. She was 75.

 A native of Marshall, Julia was raised in West Texas, the daughter of a Methodist church pastor, Rev. Edmund W. Robb, and his wife Martha. She was the first-born of five children. Spending her early years in the West Texas towns of Abilene, Amarillo, Hamlin, and Midland, all towns where her father pastored churches, Julia showed early promise as a writer with a gift for rich detail and local color.

 Julia attended Sul Ross University in Alpine, Texas, later graduating with an English major from St. Edwards University in Austin. After graduation, she pursued a career in newspaper journalism, working stints at papers in The Woodlands, Marshall, Laredo, Frederick, Maryland, and Alexandria, Louisiana. Beats she covered included police blotter, courthouse, and schools.

       Throughout her career, she also penned heavily reported news features, including a series on Caddo Lake, for which she was awarded the 2005 Texas Star Reporter of the Year award by the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors. She worked for many years for the Frederick, Maryland, News-Post, where she wrote nearly 700 articles just for that one paper, and she authored thousands in total over her career writing for a half-dozen papers. She wrote a celebrated series in Alexandria, Louisiana covering ethical violations of Indian tribes pursuing casino licenses.

 She won many awards for her news writing, including several from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Maryland Press Club. A heavily researched book she co-authored with her father, The Betrayal of the Church, won the prestigious Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association in 1986.

 Later in her career, and extending into her retirement years, Julia wrote historical novels centering on her deep experience and knowledge of West Texas. Her books included Saint of the Burning Heart, Del Norte, Scalp Mountain, The Stamp of Heaven, and The Captive Boy. Most of the books were set in the latter decades of the 19th century, and each was peopled by colorful, usually eccentric, characters. Julia was deeply interested in Western Indian tribes, and many Apaches and Commanches figured in her books, as did American cowboys, Mexican-American ranchers and barkeeps, black soldiers, and many lonely girls. She also wrote two books featuring ghost stories, a lifelong interest.

 Toward the end of her journalistic career, Julia moved back to Marshall, which she considered her hometown. She loved all things Marshall, reveling in its traditions, characters, and history. She loved art and collected as much as her budget allowed. Her well-decorated home was full of art, hundreds of books, and memorabilia from her life.

 Julia had a passion for American history, especially the Civil War, Indian wars, and the mistreatment of Blacks in America. She was deeply concerned with animal welfare, civil rights, and political integrity. Of the many pets she owned over her life, almost all were rescues.

 After enjoying fairly good health for much of her life, Julia was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Disease several years ago, a precursor to blood cancer that attacks red blood cells and requires blood transfusions to treat. As the doctors had feared, the condition eventually developed into pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed in January. Surgery was ruled out, and there were no viable treatment options. She went on home hospice several weeks ago.

 As a hobby and service, Julia maintained a personal Facebook feed with a new post every day that featured a beautiful Western art painting. The paintings were generally accompanied by Julia's musings on many subjects. At one time, Julia had more than one thousand Facebook followers.

 On December 17, 2023, Julia put up one of her final posts on Facebook, which seems to represent nearly her entire life philosophy. It read: 

"Hey friends, I've had a pretty hard time the last year, due to a sickness. Yet, what is life if we can't find the good things? So here is my gratitude list.

"1. My mother still lives, although she's blind. It wouldn't surprise me if she's living because she wants to comfort and sustain me. We do a lot of things we're not consciously aware of, but we'll know in heaven.

"2. I do absolutely believe in a next world and can not wait. We are all young and healthy in the next world.

"3, Although we hear doom and gloom about this world, like climate change, I believe we will defeat this challenge, maybe unexpectively. Something may be invented to suck the carbon out of the atmosphere.

"4. God did not create the world to see it destroyed.

"5. The sun is shining today .

"6. Many of us will be with our families at Christmas, one week from today. Treat others with love and if they annoy you, just swallow it and send blessings their way.

"7. Pray for somebody who will be alone.

"8. Love is just good will in action.

"Blessings on each of you."

Julia died surrounded by a few close friends, dedicated medical staff, and two siblings. She is survived by her mother, Martha, her brothers Edmund and Jim, and her sister Sarah, plus many nephews, nieces and cousins, and an aunt. A funeral service will be held on Friday, Apr 19, 2024, at The Woodlands Methodist Church in The Woodlands, Texas, at 11 a.m.

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