Roberta Lee Keeler was born Nov. 12, 1935 in Saint Joseph, Mo. the daughter of Robert James and Donna Lee (McCabe) Pinder. She passed away Jan. 25, 2012 at her home in Dove Creek, surrounded by her family, at the age of 76. Private family inurnment services will take place. A Celebration of Life will be held on Feb. 4, 2012 at 1 p.m. at the Cahone Senior Center, 14018 Hwy. 491, Cahone.

Roberta Lee Pinder married Richard Bruce Keeler on July 7, 1959 in Dolores. Roberta raised three generations of family.

Roberta was hired to teach in the Dove Creek Elementary School after only two years at Fort Lewis A & M at Hesperus. She continued teaching at Dove Creek while going to summer school, and earned a degree in education from Fort Lewis College in 1965. She also taught in the Cortez School System, followed by 22 years at Teec Nos Pos and two years at Red Mesa on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.

Two of her famous quotes on how she wanted to be remembered were, “I loved, I cried, I laughed” and “I did it my way.”

Roberta was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Donna Pinder; her husband, Richard Keeler; her daughter, Mechelle Peabody; her brothers, Bob Pinder and James Pinder; and her sister, Donna Jean Casey.

Surviving Roberta are her daughter, Leuwanna (Dee) Sessions of Loma, Colo.; her son, Tyrone (Robin) Peabody of Reistertown, Md.; her granddaughter, Amy Dawn Peabody of Dove Creek; her sisters, Nedetta Pinder (Richard) Buchheit of Dove Creek, Janet Ann Pinder of Cortez, Ellen Pinder of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., and Betty Pinder of Cortez; her brothers, Ben (Debbie) Pinder of Reistertown, Md. and Richard (Rona) Pinder of Vernal, Utah. Roberta is also survived by her close friend and relative, Jose Pinder of Lewis.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Roberta’s honor may be made to the Dolores County Senior Service, P.O. Box 164, Cahone, CO 81320.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Four Corners Funeral Chapel of Cortez.