Roberta Whiteside

Roberta Beryl Whiteside
August 6, 1938 - April 11, 2017
The memorable day of April 11, 2017 will be etched in the hearts of our entire family as the day our mother, grandmother, aunt, and sister received her angel wings. She left us without warning as it was time for her to join her beloved Bob, who received his wings July 6, 2016, and who we believe, missed her so terribly and after hearing her praise him on Earth, felt it was time for their reunion.
She left this earth without fear or pain and, for that, we are forever grateful. But our hearts are broken as she was the center of our entire family.
Berta left a legacy of traditions, the legacy of love of family, and the demonstration of unconditional love expressed through acceptance and understanding for our occasional trials and tribulations.
Christmases were times when she thrived in planning every little detail and gifts. She even wrote detailed notes about the history of the gifts. Her shopping for Christmas began the day after the previous holiday. Each gift specially chosen for the recipient and consisted of 200 - 300 little gifts, each wrapped meticulously down to the chap stick and candy bars. This is but one example of how she expressed her love for family. She graciously accepted receiving, but her greatest joy was in giving and watching the joy on our faces as we opened the treasures she so carefully collected throughout the year. Her generosity is also her legacy, as she deeply adored her family. She expressed her love frequently. We felt it, embraced it and were comforted by it. The matriarch of our family, she passionately organized birthdays, holidays and all of the special celebrations. The beautifully prepared and decorated cakes were the highlight of every occasion made even more delicious because of the love that went into them.
Roberta, Grandma Berta to her grandchildren, was a creative and gifted soul blessed with a love of music and art. During family gatherings, she would bring out the guitar and harmonica and we would all sing the songs she loved. It brought her great joy, and to us it was a tradition that remains a part of our lives today and always. She expressed her deep feelings through art and was continually creating beautiful pieces as well as numerous scrap books documenting grand adventures. She shared her love of music and art and she enthusiastically taught her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to express themselves through them. Paper, paint, markers, crayons and brushes came out as soon as we arrived. Music was in the background. Grandma Berta, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray".
Berta was a strong woman with strong opinions but she respected the opinions of others as well. She relished a great debate on the complexities of life, yet she knew when to listen when a family member called and needed help, encouragement, or just someone to listen.
The last few years were difficult as she lost her true love, her health, her usual involvement in family affairs, and her joy. She was missing Bob. We find comfort that they are reunited, but selfishly wish that we could go back in time and relive the wonderful times we shared. She was Mamma Bear, Big Sister, Grandma Berta, and her influence and traditions will be repeated by future generations. Mom, we hope heaven mirrors your favorite place and you and Dad are listening to the waves crash on a peaceful beach in Hawaii. We all miss you terribly here, but can envision you feeling the sea spray, hearing the gulls, feeling happiness filling your soul, and feeling peace as Dad sits by your side. Aloha!
Roberta Beryl (Bennett) Whiteside was born in Wheaton, MO on August 6, 1938, to Robert and Wilma Bennett. At six months of age, she and her parents moved to Kansas City, MO. There three siblings were born, James, Michael, and Deloris. She attended Benjamin Harrison Grade School, When Roberta was nine, the family moved to Grand Junction, CO. She attended Columbus School, Grand Junction High, and graduated with the first class in 1956, at the new Grand Junction High School. She sang in the triple trio in high school, played the violin in the orchestra and in an ensemble, she learned to play the guitar and harmonica (she always thought she played the harmonica the best), and she loved to yodel. Her mother, Wilma, taught at Pride School at Kannah Creek, Whitewater, then Whitewater School. Her father, Robert, worked for the D&RG Railroad.
Roberta enjoyed going with her mother at times and made lifelong friends. In 1951, Elizabeth Shaw was born. In 1956, Roberta married Robert "Bob" Whiteside and had three children, Kimberlie, Bobbie and Richelle.
Roberta began selling Avon in 1967. She became a team leader, then stand-in manager for Grand Junction and for the manager in Aztec, NM. The company sent her every week for a few weeks to appoint representatives in Aztec, Farmington, Gallup and across the Navajo reservations. She managed the district in Grand Junction for a year before going to work at the Grand Avenue Rexall Drug in 1977 as a cosmetician and was there for five years. In 1982 Roberta went to work for City Market, where eventually she was trained as a cake decorator. She retired from City Market in 1997.
Her hobbies were family, music, painting, crafts, photography, traveling with family, scrap booking, gardening, home decorating, and in her earlier years, belly dancing and archery.
Surviving Roberta are children, Kimberlie (Brian), Bobbie (Bev), and Richelle (Mark); grandchildren, Anthony, Nicole (Nick), Nathan, Cameron, and Mckenzie; great-grandchildren, Cassius and Chloe; brothers, Michael (Bev), and James (Glenda); sisters, Deloris (Leroy) Kirkhart and Elizabeth (Jimmy) Shaw, and numerous nieces and nephews.
No services are planned at this time. A future celebration of life for both she and Bob is being planned. Condolences to Kimberlie Whiteside, 121 Donaldson Rd., Grand Junction, CO 81507.