Roberta June Jerome, nee Grass, 81, of Waterloo, IL, born June 27, 1935, in Perryville, MO passed away on Friday Feb. 24, 2017, surrounded by her family.
Roberta was an active, long time member of St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church in Cahokia, IL, and Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Waterloo, IL, where she served as Eucharistic Minister and as an RCIA member. She attended St. Vincent's High School in Perryville, MO, worked at Thermafax , St. Louis, MO, as a clerk and phone sales representative and then as a homemaker. She worked as an usher for St. Louis Symphony for many years, later in life she continued her education taking classes at Belleville Area College.
Bert was active in the Mothers Club and Room Mothers of St. Catherine Laboure School in Cahokia, IL. She belonged to the Cahokia Jr. Women's Club and was the LaGuianne Ball properties chairman. She enjoyed Red Hat Society and the TLC group where she would share her knowledge and impart her faith with humor. She volunteered at Southern Illinois Hospice and was active in organizing class reunions for her fellow classmates.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Thomas Allan Jerome, whom she married on August 20, 1960.
Roberta was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Ida Grass (nee McClure,) her brothers, William Grass and Reverend Kenneth Grass, and sister Lillian Tinnin.
Surviving are two sisters Delores Phillips of Winter Park, FL and Doris Feltman on O'Fallon, IL; four children, Gina Jerome (Mark), Janine Jerome-Hoffman (Michael), Lori Jerome and Steven Jerome. In addition, Roberta is survived by four grandchildren, Erin Zhang (Sining), Kelsy Lakshmanan (Lucky), Leah Hoffman and Haley Hoffman and one great-grandchild Nora Lakshmanan and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
A Memorial service will be held at Braun Family Funeral Home in Columbia, IL, 5-8pm, Friday March 3, 2017. A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, March 4, at 10:30 a.m. at Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Waterloo, IL. As Roberta's last act of compassion and concern, she donated her body to St. Louis University.
Memorial donations may be made to: Association of the Miraculous Medal, 1811 West Saint Joseph Street, Perryville, Missouri 63775-1598; www.amm.org or the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Greater St. Louis Chapter, 1415 Elbridge Payne Road, Suite 150, Chesterfield, MO., 63017; www.stlapda.org