"WE'VE JUST GOT BOB!"
The Robert T. Sharples
Memorial Homepage
JULY 23rd, 1941 - January 10th, 2000
Copy write January 9, 2000
by Hazelnut Press & Coma Graphics
Give Bob a Click

Deborah A. Cahoon Didick (left) with Bob Sharples (right) at Swansea, Mass.,
standing aside a rock bearing the names of several of the men who took refuge at
the Myles Garrison House, June 24, 1675, with their families (see below) during the eve
of  King Philip's War.  Deborah's ancestor, William Cahoone, is one of those listed.
It was Bob who answered Deborah's call when she began her search for the location of her ancestor's death.

       NEHEMIAH ALLEN             WILLIAM HAMONS
*WILLIAM CAHOONE                  JOHN JONES
GERSHOM COBB                 ROBERT JONES
JOHN DRUCE                        ROBERT LEWIS
   JOHN FALL                           JOHN SALISBURY
WILLIAM SALISBURY

    We have all read about the many assorted folk heroes such as Johnny Appleseed and Robin Hood. These people were, without doubt, real in one form or another, and through time their lives have been exaggerated to the point of becoming unforgetable and legendary.
    The life of Robert T. Sharples was so full of experience and wonder that no exaggeration is needed in order to entertain the human spirit about itself through another.
    I was privileged to have been introduced to Bob in 1992 by my then girlfriend (now my wife), Deborah A. Cahoon. The story of their meeting is one of the most beautiful tales I've ever heard (to be added).  Bob was the most important link in the chain of events that led to the privite publication of Volume #1 of Deborah's book,
"Famous and Infamous Cahoons". After the completion of her book, she presented Bob with the first copy. 
    Bob was born in Rehoboth, Mass., and has explored every nook and cranny of that town.  He was an historian, but better yet, he was an historian's historian;  he was one of those people who would literally go out into the woods and swamps in search of historical landmarks.  Bob specialized in local Native American history
(Southeastern New England).
    It should be noted that it was the intent of Bob Sharples to bestow his 32 acres of land on the local
Seekonk Wampanoag tribe.  Although all the paperwork was completed, he died before he was able to sign his name to the document. At this time we are not sure what will be happening to his property.
    Raised from infancy on his parents' professional poultry farm on Perryville Road in Rehoboth, Bob had great respect and love for domestic fowl, geese in particular.  At any given time, he owned between 8-12 of them.  Each was named, and when called by Bob, recognizing his high-pitched, sonorous "Here, Goose!",  they would immediately respond with a "honk"(except for one, Goose-Goose, who would reply with a double "honk, honk")  He never penned up his geese, letting them graze freely on his private property as they paraded to and from his pond.  This same pond and dam were a popular scenic area where parents and grandparents would bring their children to admire and feed Bob's "children", his geese.
    Bob's love for and protection of his geese was the source of much controversy.  Although an expert marksmen and responsible gun-collector, eye-witness accounts tell of his being brought to the point of tears when, as a last resort, he had to shoot the marauding "unleashed dogs" that attacked, mamed and killed his prized, praised and beloved children, the geese.  At one time, he was even brought to court because of what the town called "cruelty to animals".   Their case rested on the fact that a particular dog, in whose very jaws Bob saw one of his geese, was only wounded and not killed outright.  In order to shoot to kill, he would have had to shoot his own pet (the goose) as well.  Very important to note is the fact that, once he inflicted the wound, Bob followed the practice of any moral hunter; he tracked down the dog, who led him back to his (the dog's) home, at which point the owner became involved. (An eyewitness account of the later court case, in which Bob was vindicated, will follow in the near future.)
                                                                *            *            *
    It is the intent of this website to collect and post what have become known as "Sharples Stories", as well as photographs of the man for the reason of publishing a book about this legendary and well-loved example of a truly successful human spirit.
(Contributors do have the option of having their "Stories" edited from the publication at their request!)

Click these Geese!

Another Goose to Click

Announcing Bob Sharples Day
Click for information

Each Contributor of a "Sharples Story" or "Poem for Bob"
Will Have Their Own Link!
POEMS FOR BOB
From Richard R. Didick


SHARPLES STORIES
From Deborah Cohoon Didick

From Russell Spooner

SHARPLES SIGHTINGS

AMAZING GRACE
-LYRICS & MUSIC-
ONE OF BOB'S FAVORITE HYMNS

BOB O'LINKS

For Questions, Comments or
To Send In Your Own Personal
"Pomes for Bob"or "Sharples Stories"
Please Email us at...
Hazelnut@tmlp.com
or
Richard R. Didick @ Richard@tmlp.com

Compiled by Richard and Deborah Didick
(last update, January 20, 2000)