ROBERTS, James Henry 1926-2009

ROBERTS

Posted By: K. Kittleson
Date: 12/17/2009 at 12:34:13

MANLY, IOWA - James Henry Roberts, 83, of Manly died Tuesday (Dec. 15, 2009) at the Manly Nursing and Rehab Center.

A funeral service for James Henry Roberts will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 428 W. Walnut St., Manly, with Pastor Linda Johnson Prestholt officiating. Burial will be in the Manly cemetery.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time on Friday at the church.

The family of James Roberts has requested that those wishing to give a memorial may wish to consider memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association in his memory.

James Henry Roberts was born March 11, 1926, in Osage, Okla., the son of Charles H. and Laura A. (Soward) Roberts. Jim was baptized at the Lutheran church in Austin, Minn., and moved with his parents to Manly in 1938. He attended and received his education in the Manly Community Schools.

Jim was inducted into the Navy on Oct. 27, 1943, and served overseas during World War II, and was honorably discharged on April 16, 1946. He was united in marriage to Dora Borchardt on Nov. 17, 1946, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Grafton and to this union two children were born, Bonnie and Ronald.

Jim began his career as a brakeman for the Milwaukee Railroad in Austin, Minn., and also worked for the Chicago Rock Island Railroad in Manly as a switchman. Jim worked for the railroad for 24 years until his retirement in 1970.

He enjoyed playing the fiddle, guitar and mandolin, but his great love and enjoyment was his family and grandchildren.

He was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Manly, and the United Transportation Union.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 63 years, Dora Roberts of Manly; two children, Bonnie (Jim) Diemer of Troy, Ill., and Ronald (Sue) Roberts of Birmingham; five grandchildren, Cynthia Holcomb, Chad Roberts, Randy (Natasha) Diemer, Sandra (Scott) Willtrout and Meredith (Jonah) Grier; seven great-grandchildren, Ryan and Brooke Holcomb, Tyler Willtrout, Sasha Diemer, and Elijah, Jacob and Amelia Grier; as well as several nieces and nephews, and other extended family members and friends.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Nobel, Herman and Clifton Roberts; and three sisters, Ruth Spore, Hazel Pearson and Verla Wallis.

Bride Colonial Chapel, 641-454-2242. www.colonialchapels.com.

Published in Globe Gazette online December 17, 2009