Roberta Marie (Johnson) Daniels

ONTONAGON, Mich. — Roberta Marie (Johnson) Daniels, 79, of Bruce Crossing passed on Monday, Sept. 8, 2014.

She has joined our father, her loving husband of 49 years, Edward George Daniels, who preceded her in death in 2006. Her sons call this her final vacation.

Her final weeks of a multi-year fight to beat cancer were spent at Aspirus Long Term Care (LTC) in Ontonagon. She so appreciated the care and meaningful attention provided by the staff of LTC and Aspirus Hospice. Thank you.

Roberta was born in Matchwood to Don and Lorena Johnson, on Jan. 14, 1935.

She graduated from Ewen High School and remained life-long friends with many of her classmates, continuing to celebrate their birthdays together, right up until their final July birthday celebration her girlfriends brought to her in LTC.

After graduation she ventured west and worked in Oregon as a telephone switchboard operator for a short time, before moving back to the area to marry Edward Daniels on March 2, 1957, in Maple Grove. Her brother Don and sister-in-law Jane were witnesses.

She worked a variety of jobs and began raising a family before they purchased the Paynesville gas station/store/motel in 1970. She provided jobs for several people — and strong but humorous oversight for the local “kids” who hung out at the store — throughout their ownership until 1987. She then worked at Settler’s Co-op and the Cloverland Senior Center until she officially “retired”.

Roberta, “Berta,” was a voracious reader and remembered the plots of every book she read. She worked crossword puzzles in record time and was a fierce opponent in Upwords. She continued to enjoy reading and playing card games on the computer until just a few days before her death.

Roberta is survived by daughter, Gail (Gary) Greener, Anchorage, Alaska; oldest son, Edward Wayne, Lake Orion; and youngest son, Brian (Gerri), Marquette; granddaughters, Megan Daniels and Molly (Donny) Sherman (and great-grandson, Preston Sherman), southeast Michigan; grandsons, Ross and Gregory Daniels, Marquette; and grandchildren Shawn, Kaylee and Chelsea Greener brought her much joy, and they appreciated the interest she showed in their activities, challenges and accomplishments; a brother, Don (Jane) Johnson, Menasha, Wis .; a sister, Ruth (Al) Niemi, Myrtle Creek, Ore .; brothers-in-law, Clifford Daniels and Ralph (Joyce) Daniels; and many special nieces and nephews.

According to her wishes, no memorial service will be held. We will spread her ashes, along with our dad’s, at the camp they built together, exactly as they wished.

We invite family and friends to share special memories and stories via the guestbook at canefuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, any monetary expressions of sympathy in her memory could be directed to Aspirus Keweenaw Home Health and Hospice or the Cloverland Senior Activity Center (Ewen).

Her smile and eternal optimism was admired and will always be remembered.