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Ronald Michael Roberts

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Visitation will be at 1 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m. both on Monday, Aug. 19, at Holt Memorial Chapel.

Ronald Michael Roberts died Aug. 9 (2019) at his home after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease and stage 4 kidney failure. 

The son of Roy and Beatrice Roberts was born on Nov. 27, 1946, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Ron’s father moved the family to Harrison in order to open another truck terminal for the trucking business that he had started in Jefferson City, Missouri. At that time, they trucked materials and finished products for the Oberman Uniform Co., which would later become Levi Strauss Co. 

During the summers, Ron would go to his grandparent’s home in New Bloomfield, Missouri, to help on the family farm. He graduated from Arkansas Tech University. Ron married Reba English in 1968.  After college, Ron worked for his father in the trucking business. Then he went on to work for Walmart for a brief period. After working for Wonder Bread Co., Ron built several houses in Harrison, as well as one in Sheridan, Wyoming.

In the late 1980s, he sold real estate for O.J. Snow and Company and ERA Poor Boy Realty. He then appraised real estate for several years but he just couldn’t get trucking out of his blood. In 1995 he opened Roberts Transportation Services and owned several trucks and trailers and shipped freight out of Harrison all over the United States. Some of the customers included, Flexsteel Furniture, Rock-Tenn Co., Anchor Die Cast, Pace Industries and Claridge. In 2007 the focus went to refurbishing and selling used trucks. 

Ron really loved old cars and over the years collected quite a few. When he wasn’t wrenching on the cars, he enjoyed watching shows on TV about cars. Another thing he really enjoyed was making copies, like potato chips he couldn’t have just one. If there was one copy of a car or truck title, there was three. Another thing, besides cars, that he liked to collect was clip boards, which for some reason he never could find one when he needed one. 

He was preceded in death by his parents. 

Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Reba Roberts; two sons, Morgan Roberts and Scott Roberts and wife, Glenda; one granddaughter, Gabby Roberts; one brother, Roy (Deanna) Roberts III; a very special niece, Baylee Davenport; sisters-in-law, Carol (Jim) Goldie, Robbin Davenport, and Traci (Danny) Davis; brothers-in-law, Terry (Sheri) English and Marty (Pam) English; as well as a host of friends and family that will mourn his passing. 

Visitation will be at 1 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m. both on Monday, Aug. 19, at Holt Memorial Chapel. Heath Kirkpatrick will officiate. Private graveside services will be held at a later date.  (If the weather is nice and the mood hits you right, bring your old car, hot rod, or scooter to the service!)

In lieu of flowers, please consider making contributions to the Ozark Humane Society, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, or donate to Parkinson’s Research.



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