Roberta Lee Walker

Roberta Lee Walker, 87, El Dorado Springs, passed away July 20, 2023, at Community Springs Healthcare Facility.

Roberta was born Dec. 2, 1935, in El Dorado Springs to Harry Pruet Esry and Mildred Leona (Sumner) Esry. Roberta was a 1954 graduate of El Dorado Springs High School. After high school, she met and married Lloyd Bruce. To this union were born her six children: Kathy, Larry, Gary, Donna, John and Jim. In 1984, she married John O. Walker.

Roberta had many jobs and loved them all. She served as cook at Roscoe School, worked at the Shoe Factory, worked at Community Springs Healthcare Facility and worked at Nevada State Hospital, from which she retired.

Roberta was saved at an early age and was a member of Union Hall Baptist Church, which she faithfully attended until her health wouldn’t allow her to go.

Roberta became known as “Grandma Bertie” to everyone when she started having grandkids in 1980. Besides her kids and grandkids, she enjoyed her yard, growing many flowers, her gardening club, and the Red Hat Club. Grandma Bertie’s favorite time of the year was the El Dorado Springs Picnic. She loved her foot long corn dogs and listening to the live music. She had a tree on the south end of the park and every family member would come gather under it. They all knew if things got hectic, they could sit with grandma on a blanket.

Roberta was preceded in death by her husband, John Walker; parents, Harry and Leona Esry; sisters: Doloris Nikodim, Elnora Seim, and Laura Hammons; and brother, Johnny Esry.

Roberta is survived by her children, Kathy (Mike) Bush of El Dorado Springs, Larry (Karen) Bruce of El Dorado Springs, Gary (Kelly) Bruce of El Dorado Springs, Donna (Bill) Phelps of Overland Park, KS, John (Susie) Bruce of El Dorado Springs, and Jim (Ginger) Bruce of Ozark; sisters, Barbara Wallen of Stockton and Anna Ruth (Ed) Fields of Muskogee, OK; grandchildren: Travis, Julie, Klint, Kody, Breanna, Marcy, Jessica, Stephanie, Randal, Ethan and Abby; eighteen great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.