Dollie Roberta McSpadden Beattie, age 83, was joyfully welcomed into her Savior’s arms on April 3, 2020 after a lengthy battle with COPD.
Roberta was born on November 18, 1936 in Bath County, Kentucky to parents Stanley and Flora Mae Crockett. She is survived by five of her eight children, Debra (Keith), Crystal, Robert (Shelly), Richard (Janet) and Raymond (Dianne), fourteen grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren and husband, Ellis Lester Swanson. Roberta was preceded in death by children Danny, Robin and Merry Lyn and husbands Robert McCormick Sr., Winfred “Pete” McSpadden, Oscar “Wally” Beattie and Leonard Gerhardt.
Roberta never lost touch with her humble beginnings and along with husband, Pete McSpadden, instilled the importance of hard work in the lives of their children. Stories have been told of the boys digging a hole by hand for their septic system in Kyle, Texas and neighbors observing their progress until only their heads were visible from the hole. Roberta worked very hard nearly all of her life with one goal; to provide the best she could for her children. She faced many challenges in her life but always came out of them with dignity, grace, strength, optimism and most of all, love for her family.
Oftentimes, Roberta expressed regret on how she raised her children even though she always did the absolute best she could with the difficult circumstances she faced. Later in life, nothing brought her more joy than to see her children become happy and successful adults and watching them raise her grandchildren. A self-described country girl who “talked like a hillbilly”, she was such a proud grandmother watching some of her grandchildren play sports, serve our country, perform in high school orchestras and graduate college.
Travel also brought great joy to her heart and she enjoyed both domestic and international travel, always learning as much as she could about local culture and history. Her most recent trip with husband Lester took them on a river boat cruise along the lower Mississippi River and that brought her as much joy as travelling across Europe and attending the Passion Play festival in Germany or visiting the tulip fields in The Netherlands. She was equally content staying at home to watch her beloved Texas Longhorns especially if she could enjoy a good old fashioned American hot dog!
Shy by nature, she never struggled to make friends once she knew you and enjoyed gathering for Bingo or Happy Hour with friends at her independent living retirement complex especially when there was some good country musicians there to perform. She also enjoyed photography and had a knack for taking candid photos of her family most often around the dinner table. Then she would put her camera away and say “That was a good one!” even though those of us in the photo would not necessarily agree! We all looked forward to her Christmas gift each year of the family calendar with some of those candid photos and memories of the prior year.
Although these last few weeks have been difficult with all that we are currently facing, we will not let that overshadow the wonderful life and legacy of the mother we loved. Just as she did in life, she has emerged from this battle with dignity and grace and the love of all whose lives she touched.
A private memorial at Weed-Corley-Fish and burial at Cook Walden Forest Oaks Memorial Park was held and a Celebration of Life service will be scheduled in the near future.
Arrangements by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, Austin, Texas – (512) 452-8811. Remembrances may be shared at www.wcfish.com.
