Roberta Spillman Yates

On Saturday morning, January 20, 2024, the Lord extended His hand to our beloved and took
her home to rest.
Roberta Spillman Yates, daughter of the late Ida Glass Rogers and Robert Spillman, was born in
Jessamine County, Kentucky, August 27, 1932. She was preceded in death by a sister, Elizabeth
Spillman Smith and brothers Leslie Spillman, Lonnie Spillman, and Marshall Walker.
On November 21,1951 she was united in holy matrimony to Percy Lee Yates. To this union was
born one daughter, Shelia, and one son Percy Jr., who preceded her in death. Her beloved
husband, Percy, also preceded her in death, leaving an indelible mark on their eternal love
story.
At a young age she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior and united with First Baptist
Church in Nicholasville. She and her husband served many years at Cedar Top Baptist Church.
She was a Sunday School teacher, VBS Superintendent, member of the Progressive Club and
Missionary Society, and always and active member of the kitchen crew. As a concerned citizen
and graduate of Rosenwald Dunbar High School, she was a founding member of the Rosenwald
Dunbar Alumni Association Inc. Steering committee. She also served on the United States
Department of Agriculture Committee, Jessamine County office, for nearly twenty years. She
was active at both the Fayette and Jessamine County Senior Citizens Center. She loved to be in
her garden, canning, and cooking. She embodied the timeless qualities of a Proverbs 31
woman.
Relocating in Lexington, she united with the Main Street Baptist Church under the services of
Elder D. J. Ward in 2002. Here she was a member of the Talitha Lynem Mission Circle, attended
Sunday School, worship services, and weekly Bible study. She was later appointed to the
position as a Church Mother-a labor she sweetly embraced.
Other survivors include her one and only grandson--Matthew (Kristy) Piersawl; two great-
grandchildren--Iris and Yates Piersawl; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and a wide circle of
extended family, each carrying forward her legacy. Visitation Tuesday January 30, 2024 from 5 - 7 pm at Smith & Smith Funeral Home Lexington, KY and 10am to 12pm Wednesday January 31, 2024 at Cedar Top Baptist Church Wilmore, Ky