Roy C. Roberts, 101, died with his children around him at Blair House in Normal, Illinois on June 15, 2023.
Roy was born February 1, 1922, in Beardstown, the son of Clarence and Marietta Roberts. When he was 14, he met Christine Kuhlmann and married her on December 23, 1943, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Surviving are four children; Ann (Jess) Chelette, Beardstown, Don C. (Cathy) Roberts, Bloomington, Sue (Richard) Walker, Waukegan, and Chris (Keith) Mason of Gurnee; ten grandchildren, Laura (John) Hawkins, Amy (Chris) Wood, Heidi (Matt) Cardinal, Angela (Ryan) Wolterstorff, Jessica (Andy) Moots, Jill (Andrew) Gaskell, Kate (Steve) Szczudlo, Joel (Sara) Walker, Kevin (Michelle) Mason, and Claire Mason (fiancé John Busse); and twenty great-grandchildren, Henry, Jameson, Lila and William Wood; Avery and Leo Cardinal; Ellery and Ryker Wolterstorff; Gavyn, Kai, Rhett and Isla Moots; Roydon and Vivian Gaskell; Mira, Jaxson and Zoe Szczudlo; Milo and Rose Walker; and Ella Mason; as well as many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Christine, his two brothers, Mylo G. Roberts and Dale E. Roberts, sister, Jane Deckenbach, and step-granddaughter, Tracy Chelette.
Roy was a man of preservation. After graduating Beardstown High School in 1939 and attending Bradley University, he enlisted in the Army to defend freedom. The Army sent him to Stanford University and the University of Cincinnati for additional training before he joined the 14th Armored Division in 1943. He was a gunner in a tank with the rank of Sergeant in battles in France and Germany in World War II where he preserved the memories and honor of those he remembered through stories and reunions. He was a member of the 14th Armored Division Organization and was elected president in 2006.
Roy was instrumental in organizing the Beardstown Park District with the goal of providing a swimming pool for Beardstown. He was the Park Board’s first president. Later he became the first Director of Parks and Recreation. During his tenure of service, Roy supervised and built the park with the swimming pool, improved Schmoldt Park, and acquired the property for two neighborhood parks, Kiwanis Park and Elks Park. He facilitated the purchase of land for the construction of the Beardstown Airport and the Beardstown Marina. Along with others, he started Little League Baseball in Beardstown, whose growth in both participation and subsequent programs required the construction of six baseball/softball diamonds. He raised funds, planned, and supervised the joint construction of the Schewe Community Center/Illinois National Guard Armory. After 33 years of service, Roy retired in 1987 and the park he built was named Roy Roberts Park. He was a Director and Vice President on the board of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and was elected to an honorary life membership in that organization in appreciation of his work in parks and recreation.
Roy was always a booster of Beardstown and solicited the funds for the Houston Memorial Library. He was active in securing several thousands of dollars for community projects. Through his dedication to community, he has preserved spaces for children and families to play, to gather, and to create lifelong memories.
Roy was a member of St John’s Lutheran Church, a charter member of the Beardstown Kiwanis Club, a member of the Beardstown Lions Club, and served on the Board of Directors of the Beardstown Chamber of Commerce. He served as President of the Beardstown High School Alumni Association which honored him in 1988 for his dedicated service to the youth of the community. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion. In 1995, the Beardstown Fall Festival Committee honored him when he was the Grand Marshal of that year’s parade. Always maintaining a connection to Beardstown, Roy and his wife, Christine, spent the winters down in the Rio Grande Valley near McAllen, Texas, for 17 years, where they made many friends. When his granddaughter Kate asked Roy why they were leaving Texas, and Roy responded with, “if you only had 344 days to live, wouldn’t you want to be close to your family?” That was in 2007.
He loved all sports, but he especially enjoyed seeing the Cubs finally winning the World Series in 2016 and Tiger Woods winning The Masters in 2019 and instilling a love of sports in his grandchildren. Recently, he sent racks and basketballs to his great-grandchildren with advice and techniques, preserving his coaching techniques for generations to come. He loved oil painting, and his favorite subject was his home in Beardstown. Many paintings exist featuring that white farmhouse, surrounded by various locations: a lake, the building of a rainbow, and more. In recent years, Roy and his wife, Christine, made their home in Normal, Illinois, at the Blair House Retirement Home where they made many more friends.
Perhaps his ultimate act of preservation shines through his written word. He was a columnist for the Illinoian Star and the Cass County Star-Gazette for over fifty years, first writing about sports, then later, changing the name of his column to “Trivia Too,” a myriad of stories about his family, friends, items of human interest and the traveling that he and his wife enjoyed. At age 101, he was granted a lifetime membership to the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. (He is believed to be the oldest living columnist).
Roy was the author of three books: “The Life of Thomas Beard, Grandpa, Please Tell Us a Story”, and “Dear Christine.” Within these pages, he has preserved the history of his beloved hometown which featured the facts and pictures of the past 200 years, the treasured stories of his childhood and life chronicled for his family, and the profound love he held for his wife through the many letters he wrote from the war.
Roy, of course, loved his family and friends. He initiated and preserved several traditions, such as Labor Day Breakfast on the Hill, College Bowl games on New Year’s Day, duplicate bridge and other card games, and the beloved Family Christmases at the Farm, including Christmas Bingo.
A visitation will be held on Friday, June 23, at Sager Funeral Home from 4 to 8 p.m. Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, at St John’s Lutheran Church in Beardstown with Pastor Keith Kettner officiating. Burial will be in the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Beardstown, Illinois.
Memorials are suggested for the Beardstown Park District or the St. John’s Yagow College Scholarship Fund.
