Roberts, William Wayne 1923-2007

ROBERTS, VAN DYKE

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/12/2007 at 19:47:57

William Wayne Roberts, formerly of Newton, passed away May 3, 2007.

The first child of Jack and Estella Roberts, Wayne was born in Newton, July 22, 1923. He graduated from Newton Senior High class of 1941, and worked at Bond Clothing Company after graduation. On Dec. 6, 1941, Wayne met Frances Elizabeth Van Dyke on a blind date arranged by his best friend. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Wayne was called into the Army but before he left, he married Frances on Dec. 1, 1943, at the Kellogg Methodist Church.

Wayne was a sergeant in the 8th Army Air Corps (401 Signal Corps, 436 Fighter Squadron, 479 Fighter Group) in England, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany from August 1944 until November 1945.

After the war, Wayne was employed as a manager at Horn’s Shoe Store. When the store was sold, he worked as a Maytag Service Supervisor in Newton and Kentucky. In the early 1960s, he moved his family to Texas and over the next 30 years, Wayne worked in sales in Louisiana and Texas.

All his life, Wayne genuinely loved people and he had a unique ability to make others feel important.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Donald Dean.

Wayne leaves behind his beloved wife of 63 years, Fran; two sons, Jack (Kathy) Roberts and Jim (Sara) Roberts; four grandchildren, Jennifer (Johnny), Stacy, Lisa (Rick) and Cole; several nieces and nephews; two sisters-in-law, Helen Van Dyke of Newton and Myrtle Van Dyke of Johnston; and his life-long, best friend, John McConeghey of Newton.

The Newton (IA) Daily News, Tuesday, August 28. 2007