Roberta A. Clark

Roberta A. "Bobbe" Clark, 81, Topeka, died Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at Midland Hospice House. She was born Oct. 19, 1923 in Delia, the daughter of Robert and Almina Redmon Keller, the youngest of ten children. She attended school at Blanden, a one-room school house on the Pottawatomie Indian reservation, west of Mayetta. At the age of nine, the family moved east of Mayetta, and she attended Tutt School where her sister, Bessie, was the teacher.

During the depression the family moved to Rock Island, Washington and she attended school in Wenatchee, Washington. In 1938, Bobbe moved to Topeka to live with her sister, Charlotte Holt. She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1941 where she was active in glee club and choir. She had the lead part in the school play her senior year. She started working for Dr. Lindsay Osburn, a Topeka dentist, during her senior year of high school and worked with him until the start of WW2. While working for Dr. Osburn she met her first husband, Jack Ketchum, in 1940. They married on June 6, 1942. During Jack's military experience, Bobbe was able to travel with him on some of his assignments. Following Jack's death at the end of WW2, a book was written about his death in a military airplane crash.

Bobbe continued to work for various dentists in Topeka. During her career, she taught at a dental hygienist school in Salina.

Bobbe served as president of the local and state Certified Dental Assistant Association. She was a member of the Arab Shrine Ladies and the Queen of Spades Garden Club.

In 1946, Bobbe married Bud Young, who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Orville Robert Keller and Otho Georgie Keller, and her sisters, Elva Keller, Charlotte Keller Holt, Goldie Keller O'Brian, and Lucille Keller Clark.

In 1977, Bobbe married W. Roy "Bill" Clark in Topeka. He survives at the home. They enjoyed traveling in Europe and the United States. Maui, Hawaii was one of their favorites, and they spent six weeks there every winter.

Other survivors include two sisters, Bessie Keller Holcomb, Wenatchee, WA, Helen Keller Anderson, Seattle, WA, and two stepdaughters, Judy Craig and Pam Shelor, Topeka, and Robin Fernkopf, Holton.

Cremation is planned. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Friday at Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel. Private inurnment will be in the Resurrection Mausoleum at Penwell-Gabel's Memorial Park Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Travel Fund at Arab Shrine, 1305 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka, 66612 or to Midland Hospice House, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, 66606.

To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.penwellgabel.com.