ForeverMissed
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Her Life

The Fairfax

May 31, 2011

 Mary And Rex were married for a wonderful 65 years. Rex died in 2008 and her sister, Frances Brohm, and her brother, Charles Harpe, soon after.

When Rex died mary moved to The Fairfax, a retirement community in nearby Virginia for military officers and their spouses. She was "chatty," always ready for a visit with new and old friends.

He family will always be grateful for the loving friendship she received from her Fairfax friends and especially from her private caregiver, Evelyn Collette, these past three years.

Mary died peaceably on May 18, 2011.  She will be dearly missed by all her family and friends.

Adventures in Retirement

May 31, 2011

    The travel bug never left Mary and Rex. After his retirement, they bought the first of their two travel trailers and they pulled them throughout the United States and Canada.  Rex was the driver; Mary was the navigator. Mary was the final arbiter of correct map reading for the entire family through the years.

  They also thoroughly enjoyed the academic adventures of the U.S. Elderhostel Program. They traveled extensively back to Europe, by ship and plane. They liked bowling, bridge and entertaining friends and family. Many of their travels were to visit their four children, their nine grandchildren , and their six great grandchildren. Sports, scouts and graduations ere happily recurrent.

   Mary was quite adventurous. She was known for holding the ropes while her boys 'repelled' the Potomac River  rock walls. She could never say "no" to her grandchildrens' milkshake requests... even right before dinner. Her memorable camp cooking was 'pancakes over the open fire in the drenching rain."

 

Mary's Family

May 31, 2011

    Mary was a full-fledged Army officer's wife, in war and in peace, in places far and wide of the Ohio River. Because of the needs of the service, Mary and Rex were married in California; Ursula was born in Washington.  Mary took Ursula back to the Indiana farm while Rex fought in Germany.

   The adventure soon continued. Mary Beth was born in Panama; George and John were born in Denmark.  Mary carried her own big blue cop of the Baltimore Catechism throughout ... to ward off the heathens.

   In 1955, the family sailed back to the United States for Pentagon duty and the life in the Virginia suburbs. St. Michael's was a brand new parish and much of their life centered around it as well as Columbia Pines neighborhood and all of their many friends and, of course, family. Rex and Mary were members of St. Michael's for more than fifty years and all their children were schooled there. They visited the Franciscan Monastery and the beautiful new national Shrine Basilica in Washington, DC, regularly with their family.  They enjoyed summers at the beach in Maryland and Delaware.

Mary meets Rex

May 31, 2011

     After graduating from high school, Mary bravely crossed the river to attend business school in Louisville, Kentucky. After business school, Mary worked for the DuPont Smokeless Powder Company as an accountant. Always good with numbers, Mary was the final arbiter of correct accounting for the entire family for years.

    At the beginning of World War II, Mary and her sister , Frances, planned to attend a dance at The Kentucky Hotel. Coming down the elevator, Mary met a young Army Officer named Rex Roberts. They were married in 1943, and raised four children: Ursula Anne (1944), Mary Beth (1949), George Ernest (1953) and John Franklin (1954).

 

Mary's Early Years

May 31, 2011

     Mary Agnes Roberts was born  on October 18, 1920, in Derby, Indiana. Her parents were Frank and Luella Manning Harpe. Mary grew up on her parents' farm near the Ohio river. One of her many joys as a youngster was attending traveling Ohio Riverboat Shows. From the farm, they could hear the riverboat coming by its steam calliope and they wold hitch up the horse and buggy and go.

     Mary was an excellent student and prided her perfect attendance. She was a champion speller, winning many spelling bees. Mary was the final arbiter of correct spelling for her entire family through the years.

    Even during the great Ohio River Flood of 1937, Mary Made it to school...by rowboat... precariously.