Obituary of Roberta Byers

Roberta Jean Byers passed away on April 17th, 2014 surrounded by family in her Creswell home. She was 84 years old. Roberta was born on August 31st, 1929 in Sacramento, Ca to Melvin and Velma Traxler. Growing up in a minister’s home, she lived in various states including Oregon, California, and Indiana. After graduating from Marshfield High School, she attended Northwest Christian College where she met her future husband. On September 3rd, 1948, she married Donald Herbert Byers at Coos Bay Church of Christ in Coos Bay, Oregon. After they married, Roberta and Donald entered Christian ministry, which included service to churches in Oretown and Central Point. From early childhood, Roberta had a passion to be a missionary, and she and Donald answered the call by serving ten years in northern Thailand among the Khmu tribes. After Thailand, Roberta and Donald would serve churches in Elmira and Philomath before spending fifteen years serving refugees from Southeast Asia in Stockton, Ca. Besides being a minister’s wife, Roberta taught kindergarten, did volunteer church work, worked in the Oregon State and University of Oregon bookstores, and enjoyed supporting her children in all their activities. She and Donald retired to Creswell in 2000, where both lived the remainder of their lives. Her loving husband preceded her in 2009, after 61 years of marriage. Roberta was a woman committed to faith and family. She had a love of music, and enjoyed playing the piano, trombone, and marimba. All of her life she loved flowers and could name them all. She found great joy planting and maintaining her many gardens. She was encouraging, gentle, and kind and everyone who met her considered her a friend. She had a gift for making everyone feel comfortable and welcome. During the past fifteen years, Roberta struggled through three bouts of cancer. In the midst of pain and suffering, she maintained a spirit of courage, faith, and love. She was a strong and beautiful woman. Roberta is survived by her six children; Don Jr. of Eugene, Randy of Chiang Kham, Thailand, Gordy of Park City, Utah, Jocelyn Stram of Creswell, Ardella Fry of Lexington Park, Maryland, Theresa Lynch of Rancho Cordova, California, sixteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. We will all miss her beautiful smile, her love and her tenderness. A memorial service will be held at Northwood Christian Church, 2425 Harvest Lane, Springfield, Or on April 25th at 2 PM. Flowers are welcome, or donations may be sent to Rapha House, P.O. Box 1569, Joplin, MO 64802-1569. Arrangements entrusted to West Lawn Memorial Funeral Home. Please access the obituary and you are invited to sign the guestbook at musgroves.com