Roberta June Dowis Kirby died Sunday, November 4th at her home in Topanga, CA. She was born in 1924 in Sheridan to William Jr. (June) and Cleola F. (Quete Morgan) Dowis. She married Dan Kirby in 1961.
Roberta and her sister Bette moved to California during World War II and worked in factories as "Rosie the Riveters," helping build airplanes for the war. Then she joined the World Council of Churches, a precursor to the Peace Corps, and sailed on the Seven Seas Ship. She worked in post-war Germany and north Africa helping build churches and homes.
After graduating from CSUN, she taught school and soon only substituted because she and Dan loved to travel so much. Besides teaching, she was a wonderful story teller and pupils enjoyed having her walk into the school -- maybe wearing a bright pink hat! When she came to Sheridan to visit her parents on the farm, she would pick up odd things like hedge balls, buckeyes, and such things that California children had never seen. One time Roberta told me I should not say naughty words because God had a big chart in Heaven with everyone's name on it and he'd put a black mark beside my name if I said something bad; from there on, I tried to be good.
Roberta was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Charles Dowis, and nieces Becky and Cathy, and nephew Dirk.
Besides her husband, she is survived by sisters Bette Bradley of Yorba Linda, CA and Joyce Dowis Chambers of Maryville and brother Franklin Dowis; also, many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Roberta's ashes will be brought back to be placed beside her parents in the Brethren Cemetery near Sheridan where she was baptized many years ago.
--Submitted by Joyce Chambers
1 comment:
RIP Roberta...now Dan has come to join you!
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