Dorothy Louise Roberts (Reed)

Dorothy Louise Reed Roberts was born September 15, 1924, in Osceola, MO, daughter of Bessie Euphamie Bledsoe Reed and James Manley Reed. Dorothy was two when the family relocated to Appleton City, MO, where they farmed in several locations.
Dorothy was number six of the nine Reed children, with five older brothers, two younger brothers and a younger sister. After graduating from Appleton City High School, Dorothy moved to Kansas City to attend a secretarial college. She later worked for the OPA and shared living space with two friends from Appleton, Cleo and Doris Jean Domer, while waiting for her sweetheart to come home from serving in the Army in Europe during World War II. On March 10, 1946, Dorothy married Adolph Ira Roberts of Rockville,MO. Daughter JoAnn was born the next year, and daughter Karen was born four years later. Soon after Karen was born, the family moved to their new home in Golden Acres, built by Adolph, where they lived for twelve years. Their next home was on Bellevista Drive, again built by Adolph. Throughout Adolph’s career of building homes in the Kansas City area, Dorothy was a stay-at-home mom who specialized in baking apple pies, chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls. She was active in the RLDS Church, serving as Women’s Leader for her home congregation, Gudgell Park, as well as for Center Stake. She was also active in PTA, Graceland Mothers, and the girls’ program for the church, Skylarks and Orioles. Dorothy loved gardening, watching birds feasting at her feeders, traveling with Adolph in their trailer across the United States, and enjoying their lake house at Stockton Lake. She spent lots of time around water, but she was terrified of swimming. Trips to Hawaii, Mexico City, Grand Cayman Island, the Bahamas and a summer of driving all over Alaska were special adventures for her. Dorothy loved to visit with people and seldom went through an airport without seeing someone she knew. She once discovered a first cousin whom she had never met before in a laundromat in Arizona. Dorothy was a loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 73 years, six of her seven brothers, and one infant great-granddaughter. She is survived by her sister Marguerite Reed Pipes Hilgers of Kennewick, Washington; her youngest brother, Dr. Glen Reed of Appleton City, MO; her two daughters and their spouses: JoAnn and Bruce Jones of Templeton, CA and Karen and Alan Simon of Independence, MO; six grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, multitudinous nieces and nephews of both the Reed and Roberts clans, and many friends and neighbors from all over. She had a sweet spirit about her, but she was allergic to honey. Rest in peace, Dorothy, reunited once again with Adolph in death. A graveside service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, December 19, at Mound Grove Cemetery. Online condolences and memories may be left for the family at www.speakschapel.com (Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel 816-373-3600)