In Memoriam : Robbie Link

Robbie Link Robbie Ann Link - age: 84
(November 21, 1941 to July 09, 2026 )
Resident of Visalia, California

Visitation Information:
Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. at Evans Milelr Guinn Exeter Chapel.

Obituary:
In her lifetime, Robbie Ann Link was defined by her devotion to Faith, Family, Friends and Fun.
Robbie loved Jesus and was a woman of strong faith which guided her through her life. She endured numerous health challenges over the years and often remarked that she was surprised she lived so long. When she was diagnosed with bone cancer 7 months ago, her attitude remained positive and she met the diagnosis with courage and dignity. She was ready to meet Jesus and be reunited with her favorite person in the world -her grandmother and namesake, Robbie, lovingly known as her Baba.
Robbie Ann Gray was born on November 22, 1941 in Checotah (sheh-KOH-tuh) Oklahoma to Melba Mullen Gray and Orville Gray. She had two older brothers, Jack and Bill. During her first four years of life, the family lived on a farm, where Robbie delighted in gathering eggs and playing with the animals. She would often tell the story of how her mother would dress her and her brothers in their Sunday best for church. Melba would have all three children line up in front of her and she’d say “Now if you all can just act half as good as you look, you’ll be fine.” One particular Sunday, Robbie had already passed inspection by Melba and she took off for a quick visit with her favorite farm animals, the pigs. No one was calling for her, so she decided to climb the pig pen. She was always a climber – when she was older, she broke her collar bone falling out of a tree. But back to the pigs – just climbing to the top of the pen wasn’t challenging enough but tightrope walking to the next post sounded good. Half way across, Melba saw her and yelled her name, which made Robbie turn to look at her mother and subsequently lose her balance. Down into the pen she went. Robbie said she remembered looking up into the sweet pigs faces and feeling the cool mud around her and she thought it was heavenly. Her mother did not share her enthusiasm.
The family later settled in Yokohl Valley in the foothills east of Exeter, California. Life was not always easy. Her parents struggled financially and battled alcoholism, leaving Robbie and her brothers to rely heavily on one another. She shared a particularly close bond with her oldest brother, Jack. Although her brothers loved her dearly, they also enjoyed teasing their little sister. When Robbie was a girl, she loved dolls and would get them for birthdays and Christmas. Twice a year when she got new ones, the old dolls would die a tragic death and she would bury them in the vacant field next to their house. This went on for years. When she was about 10 years old, her brothers came into the house and gleefully said “Hey Sis we think you should check out what’s going on outside.” Robbie went outdoors to see body parts flying through the air. A tractor was discing up years of carefully buried dolls. Her brothers thought it was hysterical. It became one of the many family stories she retold with laughter throughout her life.
In 1960, Robbie married Curtis Link. Curt always made Robbie laugh; sometimes with him, sometimes at him. They were married for six years before welcoming their first child. Looking back, Robbie often said that God knew exactly what He was doing. She had always dreamed of becoming a mother, but later acknowledged that she needed time to grow up. Early in their marriage, she attempted to bake Curt a birthday cake that ended in disaster. After spending hours trying to salvage a burnt, lopsided creation, she hid it under the bed and promptly forgot about it. Days later, Curt discovered the collapsed cake while investigating a trail of ants. Rather than criticize, he laughed and suggested he take over the cooking for a while— “a while” turned out to be 58 years of marriage.
Robbie and Curt welcomed their first daughter, Jennifer, in 1966. Jennifer was, by all accounts, a demanding and colicky baby. Robbie often joked that if she had not wanted her so badly, she might have given her back. Their relationship was filled with long conversations, memorable trips, and shared joy in Robbie's role as "Grammie" to Jennifer's children. One fond memory of Jennifer’s is her oldest daughter Jill’s second birthday. At two, Jill’s hair was still thin and patchy. There was one long clump in the front of Jilly’s hair and the night before her party Jennifer decided to trim it. Well, Jennifer did not inherit her mother’s hairdressing gene and let’s just say she made matters worse. The day of the party Jilly wore a hat. But later that night, Jennifer noticed that Jilly’s hair looked okay, in fact better than ok- it looked good! Jennifer mentioned to Robbie that she had trimmed Jilly’s bangs and thought she’d screwed up, but she actually did a darn good job. Robbie started laughing and said she didn’t want to hurt her feelings but she had seen what she’d done to her precious grand baby and took it upon herself to fix it. Jennifer said “I think it’s the only time my mom did something behind my back . . . and boy am I glad she did.”
Melissa was born in 1968 and could not have been more different from her older sister. She was a sweet, quiet baby who rarely cried. In fact, she was such an easy baby that Robbie had her checked by a doctor simply to make sure everything was alright. Melissa treasured the many small moments and silly jokes she shared with her mom. One Christmas morning in particular stands out. A Christmas carol was boppin’ on the radio and mom grabbed Melissa’s hand and tried to teach her how to dance like they did in the 50’s. A photograph from that morning captures both of them in their nightgowns, hair tousled, laughing together, attempting to dance—a perfect snapshot in time. Melissa said “Mom always had a spirit of fun about her.”
Robbie was amazed at how different her daughters were. She was fascinated when she discovered Tim LaHaye’s book The Spirit Controlled Temperament. It speaks to how God can use the four basic temperaments: Choleric, Sanguine, Phlegmatic and Melancholic. Robbie felt it helped her understand people better and would regularly reference a temperament when describing someone. As in, “Jennifer is Choleric. She’s bossy but God has gifted her with leadership.” Or Melissa is Phlegmatic. “She’s shy but God has gifted her with kindness.” Sometimes the differences worked to Robbie’s benefit. Jennifer was a morning person and Melissa was a night owl. Robbie spoke on the phone with Jennifer every morning, and Melissa every night.
Robbie loved growing up in Exeter. She loved her community and never met a stranger. She was a high school cheerleader, maintained treasured friendships with many of her classmates, and often recounted stories of their adventures together. She was an active member of Ivanhoe Presbyterian Church for many years and developed lifelong friendships there. Her friend and pastor, Leon Brokaw of Heritage Church, served as a spiritual mentor until his passing. In recent years, Robbie found a new community of friends at Walnut Park Senior Living Community. One of her greatest joys was gathering with friends to sing hymns. Among the highlights of her final year was a visit from an Elvis impersonator who singled her out from the crowd after realizing she knew every lyric to every song. When he handed her his scarf, she was absolutely thrilled. Robbie also formed a special bond with her Gentiva Hospice nurse, Sherrie Van Matre, who became much more than a caregiver—she became a cherished friend.
Fun was woven into the fabric of Robbie's life. She loved reading, especially biographies. She loved music, dancing, flowers, and creating beautiful arrangements. Her memory was remarkable, and for most of her life she rarely forgot a name. That gift allowed her to preserve a lifetime of family history, treasured memories, and colorful stories that she generously shared with those she loved.
Robbie is survived by two daughters, Jennifer Danninger and Melissa Link; her son-in-law Eric Danninger, her grandchildren Jillian Danninger, Bridget Danninger and Link Danninger, her sister-in-law Marilyn DeCarteret, and her beloved dog Sassy.