Born Same Day as Lucille Ball, She Has Danced Through Life
By Kathleen Dodge

My mother-in-law, Gertrude Larkin Dodge Roberts, was born August 6, 1911 (the same day as actress Lucille Ball) on a farm on Brocklebank in Chelsea.

She has lived her entire life in Chelsea, working for the draft board for years until she retired. In 1938, her husband, Wallace Dodge, died at the age of 27 and she raised her three children alone until 1948, when she married William K. Roberts. Their son, Dwayne Roberts, was 20 years younger than his oldest half-brother, Neal Dodge.

Gertrude and Bill lived in Chelsea full-time, with Gertrude continuing with selective service until it was discontinued in Chelsea. Bill worked at the Granite Quarries and retired in 1984. They began wintering in Bradenton, Fla. in February of 1985, and continued to spend the winters in their condominium there until Bill’s death in April 2001.

Gertrude continued to go to Florida with her son, Neal, and his wife, Kathleen; returning to her daughter Lucille’s home in Barre from March to July and then to her home in Chelsea with Neal and Kathleen until 2006. She then entered the Riverbend Residential Care Home in Chelsea, where she lives now.

Gertrude was active in the Ed Larkin Contra Dancers for many years, dancing and playing the piano. She played piano in the summer and at the Tunbridge Fair, while Bill danced, fiddled or played guitar, and continued to be active until 1999.

The group was founded by Gertrude’s father, Edwin Loyal Larkin, and performed regularly at the Tunbridge World’s Fair. The group took prizes regularly at the Vermont Folk Festival starting in 1937. Their prize in 1940 included tickets to the 1940 New York World’s Fair, where they won first in the dance competition. The dancers returned to the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where they gave demonstrations over the course of two days..  

On Gertrude’s 96^th birthday, she went as usual, to the Chelsea Senior Center meal. The entertainment was provided by Harold Luce, another old-time Larkin Contra Dancer, and Gertrude and her son, Gary Dodge, enjoyed a dance before their meal. An evening celebration with 17 family members at the steak house in Barre rounded out her day.

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