George Roberts

Thursday, January 19, 2012

EAST PRAIRIE -- George Lane Roberts, 93, died Jan. 17, 2012, at the Bertrand Nursing Facility.

Born March 29, 1918, near Charleston, to the late William Noah and Florence Ella Lane Roberts, he had lived most of his life in Mississippi County where he was an active member of the First Christian Church in Charleston having served as a deacon, trustee, Sunday school superintendent and teacher. He was a 1936 Charleston High School graduate and received a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He served as an engineering instructor with the U.S. Navy amphibious forces at Little Creek, Va., and was with the Naval Reserve Surface Unit 9-129 in Cape Girardeau, serving as commanding officer from 1954-1957. He retired from the U S. Naval Reserve in 1978 having obtained the rank of lieutenant commander. He taught vocational agriculture at Wardell High School for three years and then at Charleston High School for 15 years. In 1963 he became the county executive director of the Mississippi County Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service until his retirement in 1988. He was a former member and past president of the Charleston Lions Club and East Prairie Kiwanis Club and was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 407 AF&AM.

On Dec. 20, 1941, he married Nell Elizabeth Crow who preceded him in death on Nov. 10, 1965. On Oct. 31, 1968, he married Carrie Simpkins who preceded him in death on July 15, 1995.

He was also preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Judy Roberts, two brothers, Joe Roberts and Paul Robert, and one sister, Frances Roberts.

Surviving are: one son, George Lane Roberts Jr. of St. Louis; one daughter and son-in-law, Jane Elizabeth and Rex Rexinger of Venice, Fla.; one stepdaughter and stepson-in-law, Peggy and Bill Thompson of Charleston; one brother, James Roberts of the state of Louisiana; one sister, Mary French of Charleston; and four grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren, five great-grandchildren and four great-stepgrandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the McMikle Funeral Home where services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Rev. Jim Malugen, pastor of the First Christian Church in Charleston, will officiate.

Burial with full military rites conducted by the Missouri Military Honor Guard will follow in the IOOF cemetery.

Pallbearers will be: Richard Hutcheson, Jim Leigh, Steve McClanahan, Glenn Ault, Sam Babb, and Donnie Sams.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.

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Memorial contributions

may be made to:

First Christian Church

109 S. Virginia Street

Charleston, MO 63834