Geraldine Roberts of Owensboro, Kentucky died on Saturday evening, June 22, 2024, at the home of her dear friend and caregiver Anissa Marchand.
Gerry was born at home near Hope, Illinois, the daughter of William Buford and Bessie Steenbergen Hogue. She attended Kuder School, a one-room schoolhouse. She remembered fondly the students and a special teacher, Mrs. Grace Hendricks of Penfield, Illinois. She attended Armstrong High School where she met her future husband, Dwight Roberts. She earned bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois and was honored with an opportunity to intern at both the University of Chicago with Dr. Benjamin Bloom, well known for his work on Mastery Learning, and at Purdue University with Dr. Sam Postlethwait, working on Audio Tutorial Instruction.
Gerry was a baptized believer in Jesus. During her early years, she attended Hope Church of Christ. Later, Gerry and Dwight were married at Hope Church and began married life in Alameda, California at the Alameda Naval Air Station where Dwight was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Windham Bay. In Alameda, she waited with all the other wives for the ships to come in. Their son, Charles Geren, was born in Alameda. Following their Navy years, the family returned to Illinois where Linda Jeanne, Susan Renee, and Steven Dwight were born.
Gerry taught English at Rantoul High School and at her alma mater, Armstrong High School. After receiving her doctorate, she served as Coordinator of the Council of Teacher Educators at the University of Illinois. Another child, Jennifer Lynn was added to the family in 1978.
In 1984, Gerry, Dwight, and Jennifer moved to Pittsburg, Kansas where they lived for 31 years. She continued her work in teacher education and served as Professor and Associate Dean for the College of Education at Pittsburg State University.
Gerry was instrumental in the development of Future Teachers of America and served in the Association of Teacher Educators.
Gerry enjoyed quilting and traveling. She, along with Dwight and Jennifer, traveled the world while she did work on the International Teachers' Council. They traveled to every state in the United States and every continent with the exception of Antarctica. They celebrated their 50th anniversary with a family celebration in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and with a drive across Australia. Their 60th anniversary was a celebration in Branson, Missouri hosted by their children and grandchildren.
Gerry, Dwight, and Jennifer lived among the pit lakes of southeastern Kansas with their paint horse Beau, and golden lab, Narah. Each summer, their home was the family gathering place for making memories: pit swimming, fishing, frog gigging, turtle races, and fireworks. Christmas time was gingerbread houses, family stories, and always a lot of laughter. In 2015, Gerry moved to Owensboro, Kentucky to live next door to her daughter Susan and son-in-law Joseph Wallace.
Survivors include daughters Linda Jeanne Roberts of Rolla, Missouri, Susan Roberts Wallace (Joseph) of Owensboro, Kentucky, Jennifer Lynn Roberts of Orlando, Florida; daughters-in-law Judy Roberts (Geren) of Gifford, Illinois and Marcia Roberts (Steven) of Valrico, Florida; grandchildren Heather Schlittler (T.J.), Dustin Roberts (Stacy), Ashley Breeden (Dan), Kendra Poniatowski (Nathan), Kyle Farner (Anna), Katelyn Oliver (Randy), Andrew Roberts (Lauren), Jaclyn Raboin (Brad), Lauren Roberts; great-grandchildren, Brock and Jillian Schlittler, Reid and Aubrey Roberts, Adelynn, Hudson and Brooklynn Breeden, Henley, Landyn and Fletcher Farner, Lily, Beau and Ella Oliver, Steven and Sunshine Roberts and Luke Raboin.
Gerry was preceded in death by her day-old brother Buford Lonzo Hogue (1923), sister Guelda Louise Brown (8/30/1982), brother William Jay Hogue (4/15/2001), niece Kathryn Arlene Hogue (11/18/2004), nephew William David Hogue (4/11/2011), husband Dwight Earl Roberts (11/20/2012), and sons Steven Dwight Roberts (1/4/2014) and Charles Geren Roberts (12/10/2016).
Gerry will return to her home state of Illinois for a service at Lux Memorial Chapel in Rantoul on Saturday, July 6th. Visitation will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. with the funeral to follow. After the services, burial will be in Partlow Cemetery of Armstrong, Illinois. Gerry will be interred beside her husband, Dwight, and near her mother Bessie Florence Steenbergen Hogue (10/14/1991), father William Buford Hogue (9/22/1972), and several generations of family members.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Caring for Kenya or Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Kentucky are welcomed.
