Margaret Priscilla Roberts

Margaret Priscilla Roberts, Brookings, SD. Margaret Priscilla Hemmah was born on November 16, 1923 in Webster, South Dakota, the daughter of Helmer Hemmah and Emma (Johnson) Hemmah. She died at her home under Brookings Hospice care after a long bout of cancer on Sunday, December 28, 2003 at the age of 80 years. She attended the Webster Schools, graduating from Webster High School in 1941. She then attended Augustana College, transferring to the Sioux Valley Hospital School of Nursing after her freshman year. She completed her training in 1944 and then was assigned to Fitzsimons General Hospital in Aurora, Colorado as a Cadet Nurse, where she met her future husband, Charles S. Roberts, Jr. (Scotty), when they both worked on an Orthopedic Ward. She returned to South Dakota for graduation and to take her nursing board examinations. She and Scotty were married on August 4, 1945 in St. Louis, Missouri, while Scotty was attending Medical School. She worked during this time as an operating room nurse at Firmin Desloge Hospital, the teaching hospital for St. Louis University School of Medicine. After Scotty's graduation in 1949 they returned to Aurora, Colorado, where Scotty interned. The growing family moved to Taloga, Oklahoma, Lake Preston, South Dakota and Atlanta, Georgia before settling in Brookings, where Scotty worked until retirement in 1991 in the Brookings Clinic. Margaret worked as a full time mother of five children. She enjoyed golfing, bridge, reading, traveling and helping Scotty in his various endeavors. She enjoyed taking care of her children and grandchildren, visiting and helping her children and grandchildren in their various activities. She was President of the Brookings Duplicate Bridge Club until her death. She and Scotty were the first Life Masters in Bridge in Brookings and she was known as a friendly, congenial and very excellent Bridge player. Margaret is survived by her husband, Dr. Scotty Roberts of Brookings; three sons, Dr. John (Cassie) Roberts of Kingwood, Texas, Dr. Gareth (Linda) Roberts of Greeley, Colorado, and Lance (Lori) Roberts of Pierre, South Dakota; one sister, Carol Schmidt of Antioch, California; eleven grandchildren, Michael, Adam and Todd Roberts, Laura (Damon) Stanford, Jon and Jarred Rusch, Evan and Graham Roberts, Tessa, Taylor and Zakary Roberts. She is also survived by Dr. Perry Seese and Carol Parker, brother and sister-in-law, respectively, as well as two great-grandchildren, Damon Jr. and Kyrii Stanford of Lewisville, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents, one daughter, Sherry Rusch, one son, Gawain and one grandson, Toby Roberts. The body will be cremated and the ashes interred in the Webster Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be at Rude's Funeral Home from 4PM until 8PM on Friday, January 2, 2004 and a memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be sent to: Margaret Roberts, Sherry (Roberts) Rusch, 4-H Memorial Fund (Brookings County) 826 32nd Ave. Suite #101, Brookings, South Dakota 57006. Email: condolences and greeting can be sent to the family through www.rudesfuneralhome.com