Ruby L Roberts

Ruby Roberts joined her Heavenly Father on Sunday, October 30th, just before 4:00 pm. She was 95 years old & had been under the care of Service Hospice at the Mansfield Nursing Center. We would like to thank Nell Norwood of the hospice service & Stephan Dave Peterson, administrator at the nursing home, for their support. Ruby was born Ruby Lee Free, March 9, 1921 to LeRoy & Annie Bell Tyler Free. She was born & raised in Pleasant Hill, LA. She had three siblings, Annie Alene Bates, Elmer Newell, better known as \"Buddy\" Free & Virginia Clara Byles, better known as \"Jeannie\". All these beloved family members had gone on to their heavenly home before her. Their family attended Progress Presbyterian Church in the country outside of Pleasant Hill. During World War II, Ruby went to Hot Springs, Ark. to do clerical work for the U.S. Army. There, she met & married a handsome soldier from Kansas City, MO., named Edward Newton Knowlton. The two eventually moved back to Kansas City where they had a daughter, Barbara Ann. When Barbara was 2 years old, the two separated & Ruby moved back to Louisiana to be near her family. She & her younger sister, Jeannie, lived & worked in Natchitoches at Hub\'s Supermarket as checkers. Hub\'s wife, Velma Roberts Scott, from Provencal, LA. had a brother named Wayne David Roberts that was just about Ruby\'s age, so at some point she talked Ruby into going out with her brother. Wayne was out of the Army & had been a survivor of the Bataan Death March & Japanese prison camp. When he returned to the U.S. he went to New Mexico to work in the oilfield, & that was where he found his calling. Ruby, was by this time was divorced & she & Barbara Ann moved to New Mexico & married Wayne, when Barbara was 6 years old. Wayne, whom everyone in New Mexico called, \"Coonie\" worked for Continental Oil Company until he pased away in 1980. Coonie was raised Baptist so the family attended First Baptist Church in Hobbs. A few years after Coonie passed away, Ruby decided to again move to Shreveport, LA. to be near her family. Barbara had married a Louisiana, native, Billy Joe Peterson of Florien, La. Their family had been living overseas, in the Middle East since 1968, but maintained a home in Many, where they spent their summer vacations. When Barbara was in junior high school, Ruby had gone to beauty school & became a hair dresser. She loved her profession & worked many years at a salon. Back problems forced her to finally give it up. Wayne was a 32 degree Mason & a Shriner. At some point, Ruby became interested in their affiliate, Order of the Eastern Star. She joined the Eastern Star & a few years later had the honor of becoming Worthy Matron of her Chapter. She made many new friends & was very happy to represent her chapter. After moving to Shreveport, Ruby maintained her home & was a member of a Baptist church there. Eventually, because of health problems, she decided to sell her home & move into an assisted living facility. After a few years there she had to move into a nursing home in Shreveport. Recently, we moved her to the nursing home in Mansfield, to be closer to our lake house at Toledo Bend & because we felt she would get better care there. She was taken to the hospital for normal lab work on October 21 & while there, she had a massive stroke & never awoke. We just hope & pray that she was welcomed & greeted by all those family & friends that have gone before her. Ruby is survived by her daughter, Barbara & her son-in-law Billy Joe Peterson, of Lafayette, LA. Three grandchildren, Dannon Luke Peterson & wife, Kelly, of Spring, TX. Shaunda Danee & her husband, Trey Johnson, of Lafayette, LA. & Tonya Elizabeth & her husband Josh Borill, also of Lafayette, LA. She leaves six great grandchildren: Major & Gage Peterson, Jake & Payton Johnson, & Reese & Rhyan Borill.