Donald D. Roberts 1935-2013

ROBERTS, HAIJSMAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/18/2013 at 11:15:48

Sioux City Journal
15 February 2013

SIOUX CITY | Donald D. Roberts, 77, of Sioux City passed away Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, in Hemet, Calif.

A celebration of life service will be 11 a.m. Monday at Crescent Park United Methodist Church in Sioux City. Condolences may be sent online to www.miller-jones.com.

Don was born on Aug. 6, 1935, in Sioux City, to Frank and Mabel Roberts. At the age of 16, he quit school to work full-time at Younkers in the carpet department. He served in the U.S. Army, where he received his general education diploma and was based in Germany at the same time as Elvis Presley.

He married the love of his life, Peggy Haijsman, on Dec. 28, 1954. In 1974, the entrepreneurial bug bit Don and he started his own carpet company, The Magic Carpet. What a ride that was. Through hard work and ambition Don watched his company grow. In 1999, he sold The Magic Carpet, but continued to work there part-time.

Don had a big spirit. He enjoyed playing cards and board games, fishing, traveling, gardening, softball, bowling and wintering in San Jacinto, Calif. He was the heartbeat of his family and brought fun and laughter to us through his stories and an unlimited repertoire of songs, leaving us to wonder: “does the chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?” Don loved a good argument and right or wrong he always won. He left a spark in our hearts and a sparkle in our eyes. His loving and humorous antics are treasured memories to his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy; his children, Teresa (Carlos) Valdivia, Timothy (Renee Schurtz) and Tami (Neil Ingram); his brother, Jim (Sharon) Roberts; sisters, Dorothy (Harold) Lockmiller and Sally Smith; sister-in-laws, Marcella Roberts and Katie Roberts; and his grandchildren, Ashley and Brandon Valdivia, Brady and Kelsey Van Patten, Mikhail and Cyrus Roberts.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Mabel Roberts; brothers, John (Tom) Roberts and George Roberts; and nephew, Paul Roberts.