Roberta Charlene Knutson

1938 - 2021

HOLDREGE - Roberta Charlene Knutson, 83, passed away Monday, Sept. 27, 2021, at Phelps Memorial Health Center surrounded by her family.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege with the Rev. Dr. W. Kirwin Stewart Jr. officiating. A private inurnment will be at Prairie Home Cemetery in Holdrege.
The service will be livestreamed via the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home Facebook Page.
There will be no memorial book signing, visitation or viewing. The family has honored her wish for cremation.
Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of arrangements.
--
She was born on Aug. 25, 1938, in Holdrege, the eldest of three children of Charles Wendell and Ilene Wauneta (Ostrand) Schobourg. Roberta attended Holdrege Public Schools, graduating with the class of 1956. While in high school, Roberta worked as a clerk at Anderson's Women's Wear and became fascinated with fashion. She pursued higher education at the Colorado Woman's College in Denver, Colorado, where she received an Associate's Degree in 1958. While living in Denver, Roberta was employed as a Fashion Coordinator at Sears of Cherry Creek. In 1959, she moved back to Holdrege and helped her parents operate Sweden Crème and was also employed as the secretary and library assistant at the South Central Regional Library.
On Feb. 10, 1962, she married Maurice L. "Moose" Knutson at the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege. This union was blessed with two daughters, Karen and Kirsten. The family made their home in Holdrege, until they began to farm near Axtell. Roberta was employed by Axtell Public Schools as the Superintendent's Secretary and District Bookkeeper. On Oct. 31, 2003, Roberta retired after 34 years.
Roberta was a faithful member of Presbyterian Faith. She was baptized and confirmed at the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege, and was the church organist from 1959 to 1966. She was then a devoted member of the Axtell Presbyterian Church, where she served as Elder and Deacon, a Circle Leader, Presbyterian Women officer, and the church organist from 1967 to 2009. When she and Moose moved back to Holdrege, they became active members of the First Presbyterian Church of Holdrege again, Roberta served as co-moderator of Presbyterian Women, was a member of the Presbyterian Women of Central Nebraska Presbytery, and also a volunteer of the Presbyterian Summer Lunch Box program.
Roberta was a member of the Shalom Circle, the Prairie Schooners, a Charter member of the Domesticated Debs Extension Friends Club, the Order of The Eastern Star, the Hard Times Club, the Common Threads Quilt Club and the Mirage Township Library Board. She was very proud to have been awarded Axtell's Outstanding Citizen Award in 1994.
Roberta enjoyed genealogy and was a volunteer at the Genealogy Library at the Nebraska Prairie Museum in Holdrege. Roberta was also skilled in needle point, counted cross stich, and quilting. She loved to read, play the piano and organ, and accompany many vocal groups through the years. Most of all, Roberta left a legacy to her family of God's amazing love and grace, and was an example to all who knew her.
Survivors include her husband, of 59 years, Maurice Knutson of Holdrege; two daughters, Karen Wasko and her husband, Todd of Clarkson, and Kirsten Stoll of Lincoln; 2 grandsons, Blake Jacobs and his wife, Christina and their son, Rivers, and Grant Stoll all of Lincoln; her brother, Gene Schobourg and his wife, Orpha Gail of Frederick, Colorado; her sister, Jayne Eshelman and her husband, James of Englewood, Colorado; brother-in-law, Neil Knutson and his wife, Joyce of Centennial, Colorado; sister-in-law, Sharon Estill and her husband, Russell of North Platte; and a host of nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
Besides her parents, Roberta was preceded in death by, brothers and sisters-in-law, Norma and Virgil Bickett, Marvin Knutson, Gladys Knutson, Noel and Pat Knutson; and two nieces, Patricia Estill and Rebecca Estill Brown.
A memorial has been established in Roberta's honor, and kindly suggested to Axtell Community Foundation, the Holdrege or Axtell Presbyterian Churches, the Phelps County Historical Society, the Tassel Performing Arts Center in Holdrege, or the Axtell Fire Department.
Visit nelsonbauerfh.com to leave condolences.