Melinda Christine (Geisler) Roberts (1892 - 1966)

Born 24 Dec 1892 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA

Wife of Bernard Everett Roberts Sr. — married 28 Jun 1916 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA

Descendants

Died 12 May 1966 at age 73 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA

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Biography

Melinda C. Geisler was the youngest of four siblings born to Joseph J. Geisler and Caroline M. (Beundt) Geisler. She was born on December 24, 1892 the day before Christmas in the City of Detroit, Wayne county, Michigan. Her parents were immigrants from Germany who originally settled as farmers in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The farm was very large for that time period but no longer exists today.

Sometime before 1916 she met Bernard E. Roberts Sr. who originated from the city of Jackson, Michigan. Bernard must have removed to and found work in Detroit, Michigan. According to the 1910 US Federal Census, he lived with his parents in the city of Jackson, Michigan at the age of 18. Now, both at about 24 years of age, Melinda Geisler and Bernard Roberts were married on June 28, 1916 in the Roman Catholic Church within the city of Detroit.

According to her daughter-in-law Lois (Owens) Roberts, Melinda was very superstitious to the point that when a day would fall on Friday the 13th she would not get out of bed. She was also a terrible gossip. So much so that prior to introducing Lois Owens to his mother Melinda, Bernard Roberts Jr. instructed her not to tell nor trust his mother with anything considered confidential or personal.

In general, I remember her as not having a warm personality opposed to what most women tend to demonstrate. This was also the opinion of my mother Lois (Owens) Roberts. Instead she tended to be stern and stoic. Maybe she had to maintain a strict posture with her four boys. In one instance, she had to break up a fist fight between her two oldest boys, Donald and Bernard, in the backyard of their home. She accomplished this by striking them repeatedly with a broom until the fight ended.

She enjoyed trips to the family cottage at Thompson Lake, Michigan where she and her husband grew large Hollyhock flower gardens.

Melinda was a devout Roman Catholic. During the period when the United States entered World War 2, she was enraged that her oldest son Donald had caused Arlene Shea; his then girlfriend but eventual wife, to become pregnant. She was so upset that she instructed her family not to write to Donald, while Donald was stationed in England with the United States Navy, for the entire duration of the war. She would eventually have to endure the loss of her son Donald during 1951 when he drowned during a fishing trip on Lake St. Clare.

Misfortune followed again during 1955 when her second oldest son Bernard died due to complications originating from a bad pulmonary valve. This was caused by Scarlet fever he contracted when he was almost 3 1/2-years old . Thirteen months later, her husband also died from a heart attack. Melinda died May 12, 1966 and was laid to rest in the family burial plot with her husband and two sons located at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, in Detroit, Michigan.

Biography written by Bernard E. Roberts III Copywrite 2014; All rights reserved

Melinda was born in 1892. She passed away in 1966.

Sources

• Certified Copy of Record of Birth State of Michigan, County of Wayne #8011
• Wayne County, State of Michigan Marriage Returns Page 477 Record 132480 Marriage Date: 28 Jun 1916 Marriage Place: Detroit, Michigan, USA
• 1966 Funeral Remembrance Card - Melinda (Geisler) Roberts - J. A. DeSantis Funeral Home