Elsie Elizabeth Margaret Roberts

Elsie Roberts was not only a great mother, wife, grandmother, mother-in-law, and friend, she was also a gentle yet indestructible force of nature. That was consistently proven over the last 94 years.

Elsie loved so many things. She loved sweets, so you always knew there would be a bag of candy to rummage through in the pantry when you visited. She loved to gossip, which is why she spent countless hours in her front lawn chatting with neighbors. She loved football and the Cowboys, though half the fun was criticizing them after the game. She loved dogs, and her last dachshund Sassee could always be found in her lap waiting for a guaranteed handout. And she loved to spend time gardening and was known to mischievously climb up ladders to clean the gutters even after specifically being told not to.

But the common thread throughout everything Elsie loved was laughter. Laughter is what made this petite woman so undeniably magnetic. Her laughter was genuine and joyful and transformed a room. No matter where she was or who she was with, people couldn't help but stop and talk and laugh with her. Even in her last few weeks, she always had a cheeky comment in her back-pocket that would catch you completely off guard. Through humor, Elsie created happiness, within others and within herself. And she channeled that humor into tremendous strength. Enough strength to raise a family, inspire two granddaughters, and live to 94 years old.

Elsie was the driving matriarchal force of her family. Her daughter, Debbie, and granddaughters, Rachel and Renee, learned the importance of independence, the necessity of maintaining family bonds, the power of humor, and most importantly, the secret family recipe to the best lasagna on Earth.

Surviving family members include Elsie’s daughter, Debbie and her husband Rich, grandchildren Rachel and Renee, and her dog Sassee.

A Memorial Gathering for Elsie will be held from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at Rich and Debbie Townsend's home, 3108 Monette Lane, Plano, TX  75025.  Please bring your favorite “Elsie” stories to share.  Food and beverages will be provided.

She will be buried in Fort Dodge, Iowa at a later date.  Specific details to be confirmed.

Elsie will be fiercely missed, but fiercely remembered.

If it is your wish, in lieu of flowers, Elsie would appreciate donations to:

Macular Degeneration Research

22512 Gateway Center Dr.

Clarksburg, MD 20871

855.345.6637

www.brightfocus.org/macular