Jonnalee Robie, nee Hartman, passed away peacefully on the 1st of January 2023.
Jonnalee, aka JR, was an avid equestrian and a great wife. She was born in Glendale, California on the 3rd of August 1940 to John and Francis Hartman.
JR was an Honored Queen of JOBS Daughters in either the Glendale or Burbank Bethel.
She followed her dad, John, who was a Master Mason in the Glendale Lodge.
Jonnalee attended and graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri – and of course participated in all their equestrian events.
Jonnalee’s brother, Gary W. Hartman, Sergeant U.S. Army, passed away in November of 2018 as a result of injuries received in Vietnam. He and JR were very close, and it hit her very hard.
JR was very talented in artwork, stitching any sort of creative/artistic effort.
Our first home was in Norco, California in 1975. There JR began raising and training saddle mules.
One of the most exciting parts of our lives was when I was stationed with Northrop in Saudi Arabia, Al Khobar (1976/1979). JR made loads of great friends there, attended and hosted many social events and really enjoyed shopping in the Souks.
While there, JR developed, what turned into a lifelong passion -- collecting frogs, frog lamps, frog statues, frog dolls, stuffed animals, frog jewelry, and on and on. Frogs everywhere – even the bed sheets.
We had vacations and travelled to much of Europe, such as Norway, France, Great Britain, and Switzerland.
One trip we took to Iran, Tehran in particular, to visit our friends stationed there who worked for North American Rockwell.
One of the highlights of her life was raising and training saddle mules which really picked up upon our return from Saudi Arabia.
We attended every Mule Days event in Bishop, California from the very first event through the late 1980’s. JR just loved it.
She carried the American Flag in all the Mule Days opening events and in the Parades in town.
She showed in almost every class offered and we have the trophies to show for her efforts.
In 1994 we moved to Gardnerville, Nevada and built a great house on 5 acres we had purchased in 1986.
We lived and loved there until 2003 when we moved to Paradise Valley, Nevada to a small ranch we bought there. More mules and more fun – shows and camping trips as often as we could.
Jonnalee had an accident in 2012 or 2013 with a horse/mule and that ended her equestrian days. We kept them however and she enjoyed watching them in the field in front of the house.
When it became impossible to maintain the small ranch in Paradise Valley, we moved to a house on Martin Creek in Southeast Paradise Valley.
From there her journey was a difficult one as she moved to assisted living in Fernley, Nevada. Jonnalee is survived by her husband of 50 years, Richard, her son, Kevin Alvis, her daughter, Heather Robie, and her stepson, Eric Robie.
Family services will be held in the Spring. Donations in JR’s memory may be made to the Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary, PO Box 184, Imlay, Nevada 89418.
“God’s finger touched her, and she slept”
Rest in Peace my Peanut.
