Eighth Generation

2495. Robert Henry Merril Skillman was born on 26 November 1883 in Glendale, Springfield, Hamilton, OH. Age 40 when he arrived here in 1924, Ellis Is. records. He served in the military WWI Selective Service System Draft in 1917/8 at No. 2 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH. He was living from 1923 to 1924 in Lansdowne, PA. Residence in 1924: Lansdowne, PA, Ellis Is. Records Robert died on 12 September 1945 at the age of 61 in Lexington, Fayette, KY. He was in a riding accident on July 7, 1945. He was an avid horse lover and owner, including gated stables in Lexington. He was hospitalized at the Good Samaritan hospital for 2 months before he died. Body taken to Cincinnati for cremation. He was a Vice-president at Minnesota Mining and Mfg. (3M). He was a Christian Scientist. Made fortune in 3M stock. when widow died, placed with Skillman Foundation in Detroit, a charitable foundation that donates thousands each year.

Made fortune in 3M stock. when widow died, placed with Skillman Foundation in Detroit, a charitable foundation that donates thousands each year.
He was issued a U.S. passport on 4 Apr 1923.

Robert Henry Merril Skillman and Rose Pilhashy were married on 19 December 1908 in Hamilton Co., OH. Rose Pilhashy, daughter of Adolph Pilhashy and Caroline Unknown, was born in 1887 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH. Michigan Deaths, 1971-96, AncestryPlus gives birthdate 3/6/1886. She died on 28 April 1983 at the age of 96 at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, MI. She started the Skillman Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation, in 1960, largely with the proceeds from 3M stock. Projects included a floor at Children's Hosp., a wing at Oakwood Hosp., a center for family studies at the Merrill-Palmer Inst., and a wing at the Cranbrook Inst. of Science.

There was a Rose Skillman (Dining) Hall at Rollins College, Winter Park, FL. It was razed in 1997 to make room for the Cornell Campus Center.

From Skillman Foundation Web Site:
Our founder, Rose Skillman, has been gone for thirty years, but her unwavering advocacy for children lives on through the Skillman Foundation’s work and leadership in Detroit. That strong leadership most recently came from President & CEO Carol Goss, who steered the Foundation’s course for nearly a decade. It will continue through Tonya Allen, who became the Foundation’s sixth president on Jan. 1, 2014. Other former presidents of the Foundation include Leonard Smith, William Beckham, Kari Schlachtenhaufen, and Mrs. Skillman herself.
Rose and her husband, Robert Skillman, both born in Ohio, were married in Cincinnati in 1907. One of the early pioneers in the growth of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, Robert served as the company’s sales representative for the eastern half of the country, developed 3M’s foreign sales in England and Europe, and became the company’s vice president and director. Following several initial years of struggle, the company flourished as continuous advances in technology led to the inventions of waterproof sandpaper, masking tape and Scotch tape.
After a long career at 3M, Robert retired and moved with Rose to Bloomfield Hills and Winter Park, Fla. In Bloomfield Hills, the Skillmans purchased Fairfield Farms, which they transformed into a replica of a white-fenced Kentucky farm, complete with a stable of horses and colts. In 1939, Robert Skillman returned to 3M to negotiate the purchase of the Studebaker plant on Piquette Street in the Milwaukee Junction area of Detroit’s Central Northend Woodward neighborhood. He also coordinated the project that would transform the facility into an adhesive plant. He worked for this company as an executive consultant until his death in 1945.
After Robert’s death, Rose Skillman continued to live in Bloomfield Hills and Florida for nearly 40 more years until her death in 1983. In addition to her love of animals – particularly horses and dogs – and her appreciation of the arts, Rose Skillman’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable children continued to grow.
Initially, she made charitable contributions to organizations that served children. Subsequently, she worked with her attorney and accountant to incorporate The Skillman Foundation in December 1960. She served as president until she was named honorary chair in 1964. She remained a Trustee of the Foundation until her death.
The Skillman Foundation staff and Trustees are committed to honoring Rose Skillman’s dreams, and to use our grantmaking funds and institutional clout to be an effective voice for Detroit children. The simple idea that she gave life to in 1960 endures: Kids Matter Here.

http://www.skillman.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Founder, copied 4/28/2015.