Smith Center (formerly of Esbon) - Roberta A. Lorence, 77, passed away Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Smith County Memorial Hospital, Smith Center, KS.
Roberta was born April 5, 1939 in Cortez, CO, the daughter of Frank Keith and Meriel Roberta (Hatfield) Carver. Roberta resided in Cortez until 1946 when she and her family moved to Esbon, Jewell County, KS. Roberta grew up and attended school in Esbon.
After graduating high school in 1957, she attended a business school in Omaha, NE. Roberta moved from Omaha to Topeka where she worked for the State of Kansas until she married her childhood sweetheart, Gail Francis Lorence on July 8, 1960. They made their home in San Antonio, TX where Gail was stationed in the Air Force and Roberta worked as a legal secretary. In May of 1962 they were blessed with their first daughter Terri Lynne, later in October of 1962 they moved to Frankfurt Germany and lived there three years before returning to San Antonio in October of 1965. During their time in Germany they were blessed with their second daughter Jacque Gail.
In June of 1968 after Gail was honorably discharged from the Air Force, Gail, Roberta and their daughters moved to Hastings, NE, from there they moved to Ayr, NE until November of 1975 when they moved back to Esbon. Roberta went to work at the State Bank of Esbon in April of 1976 until she retired in April of 2009 after working there 33 years.
Roberta moved to Smith Center, KS in 2012 to be closer to her family. She loved watching her grandchildren play sports throughout grade school and high school. She was a lifetime avid fan of the KU Jayhawks and tried to watch every game she possibly could. She also enjoyed NASCAR races, jig saw puzzles, reading, most any sports she could find on TV to watch and loved to travel and see the sites across the US, especially the mountains.
Roberta is survived by her two daughters, Terri (John) Bird and Jacque Johnson all of Smith Center, KS; five grandchildren, Brandi (Travis) Roland of Ellis, KS, Josh (Annastasia) Bird of Denver, CO, Cortney (Ty) Hockett of Miamisburg, OH, Shelby (Shawn) Massey of Manhattan, KS, Chase Ryan of Smith Center, KS, and four great-grandchildren Tate, Talen & Terrin Roland all of Ellis, KS and Cecilia Bird of Denver, CO.
She was preceded in death by her husband Gail, parents Frank and Meriel Carver, brother Leslie Howard Carver, two sisters Frances Lorraine Devers and Ethel Arlene Smith.
A celebration of Roberta's life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 11, 2017 at All Faiths Funeral Chapel, Smith Center, with Pastor Dennis Lambert officiating. There will not be a public visitation as cremation was chosen. Inurnment will be in the Esbon Cemetery, Esbon, KS. Memorials may be given to the Esbon Fire House or Esbon Community Center in care of the funeral chapel.