Roberta Purcell

1935 - 2025

Roberta Purcell
June 1, 1935 - November 12, 2025
Roberta (Bert) Morfitt Purcell died peacefully at Nyssa, Ore., on Nov. 12, 2025. Roberta was born June 1, 1935, at Jamieson, Ore., to Robert (Bob) and Gladys Wilson Morfitt. Roberta attended middle school at Jamieson schoolhouse and later graduated from Nyssa High School, class of 1953. While attending high school, she lived at the Owyhee Dam, where her father was the superintendent of the dam. These were special years for her, spending the school days at Nyssa, living with the school nurse and returning home for weekends at the dam. Roberta married Delwin Holcomb and lived in Nyssa, where they had four children. They later divorced, and she then married Bill Purcell, and they owned the Nyssa bowling alley, the Sugar Bowl. Many years were spent bowling and developing relationships with friends surrounding the Nyssa community. Later, the bowling alley was sold and Bert and Bill relocated to Portland, Ore., where they owned and operated parts stores in Tigard and Aloha, Ore. After retirement, Bert relocated to Grangeville, Idaho, for a while and then back to her hometown at Nyssa, where she spent her last years at Nyssa Gardens Assisted Living. Bert again developed loving relationships with the kind-hearted caregivers and was well taken care of.
Roberta is preceded in death by her parents; and son-in-law, Lowell Williams. Roberta is survived by her four children, Craig Holcomb of Grangeville, Jodi Williams of Grangeville, Tami and Jim Oaks of Benton City, Wash., and Lance and Jennifer Holcomb of White Bird, Idaho; 12 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren, whom she loved dearly.
Celebration of life with reception to follow will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, December 6, at the Lighthouse Church, 308 Emison Ave., Nyssa, reception to follow.