Richard "Dick" Lavern Roberts 1931-2011

JONES ROBERTS WILEN

Posted By: Connie J Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/25/2012 at 17:12:26

Sioux City Journal
June 12, 2011

Richard "Dick" Lavern Roberts, 80, of Whiting passed away Friday, June 10, 2011, at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa, surrounded by his family.

Services will be 1:30 p.m. Monday at Evangelical Covenant Church, 306 Buckley Street in Sloan, Iowa, with the Rev. Richard Moore officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery at Albaton, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will be 5 to 7 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 6 p.m., at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Pearson Funeral Home in Onawa.

Richard was born Jan. 25, 1931, to Homer and Leah (Jones) Roberts in Sioux City, Iowa. He attended Central High School in Sioux City. Richard moved to the family farm in the Whiting area in 1945.

He married Joan Barbara Wilen of Whiting on Nov. 18, 1949. Richard and Joan were lifelong partners for 62 years. Richard spent much of his working years farming and raising livestock, running the Crow's Nest Farm located in the Whiting Settlement. With the sale of the farm in 1969, Richard and Joan owned and operated The Sioux Millers, a mail order health food store in the Whiting Settlement for a number of years. Richard was also a salesman of post-framed buildings for Morton Buildings working out of the Onawa office. As one of Morton's top salesman, he was awarded annual trips that he took with Joan to Europe and the Caribbean.

Richard and Joan had four sons, Randy, Mark, Matthew and Tracy. He had enjoyed many hobbies over the years, some of which included being a private pilot, building unique bird houses, collecting coins and stamps, walleye fishing and duck hunting. There was always an annual fishing trip with the whole family going for a week or two to Minnesota, Canada or South Dakota. In his later years, he worked very hard with planting trees, shrubs, flowers and tending to his fish ponds on his acreage in the rural Whiting area. He also spent a great amount of time rescuing domestic animals that were in trouble.

Richard also enjoyed watching the Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball teams. Going to the Roberts' home on game day with Richard was like being in the stadium watching it live. Richard was also a member of the Masonic Lodge in Whiting, and a Shriner participating with the Wrecking Crew. Those who knew Richard knew he never did anything halfway and his projects took on a life of their own. Richard lived life large.

Richard is survived by his wife, Joan; his sister, Mary Sorensen; three sons, Randy Roberts, Mark Roberts and Matthew Roberts and his wife, Kate; five grandchildren; four stepgrandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one sister-in-law, Merry Clayton and husband, Gene. Richard will be greatly missed by all of his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Leah (Jones) Roberts; his sister, Lucille Walensky; his brother, Robert "Bob" Roberts; his brother-in-law, Gary Wilen and wife, Ramona; and his son, Tracy Roberts.

Monona Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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