Roberta Elsie Kessler

On Wednesday, September 15, 2021 Roberta Elsie Kessler (Drake), wife of LeRoy Francis Kessler from Turlock, Ca, quietly passed into her next adventure. While she was greatly loved and irreplaceable in this life, Roberta’s family and friends are comforted by the fact that as a devout and lifelong follower of Jesus she has finally received the Great and Eternal Reward that she strove for all her life.

Roberta was a beautiful, quiet, and unassuming woman who was quick to express love to everyone with whom she came in contact, showing abounding grace to all she met. She had a smile that would light up the room. Her life was devoted to sharing the Grace she had experienced in Jesus with many other fellow travelers as a leader for CAIR and CAIR and Grace groups started by Dr. Jim Henman in Modesto, Ca.

A tireless gardener, Roberta regularly amazed everyone who saw the beauty and richness that she was able to coax from the dirt. She grew the most gorgeous flowers, and delicious vegetables. She painted, wrote poetry, created masterpieces in the kitchen, adored puzzles and games and taught her children and grandchildren to love them as well. She loved roses, the ocean, and her dear lifelong friends. She was also an avid reader and has an extensive library that she has been slowly giving away over the past few years to family and friends. We are incredibly blessed to have had such a rich heritage of art and literature and beauty passed down to all of us.

She was especially close with her family. Born in Modesto, California to Loris and Elsie Drake in 1941, she grew up on a dairy with her four sisters, Kathy (Walt) Anderegg, from Ripon, Ca, Eileen Allen (Mark Hendrickson) from Sawyer’s Bar, Ca, Margaret Strout and Carol (Ken) Gallagher from McMinnville, Or, as well as her older brother Harold Drake from San Carlos, who beat her to Heaven in 2015. She also leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews who were all very dear to her.

Around the time she was graduating from Turlock High School, Roberta met a tall, handsome young man from Modesto named LeRoy Francis Kessler. They were married in June of 1960 and after 61 years of marriage LeRoy is still quick to laughingly admit that she was way too good for him. They quickly had 3 children, Steven Kessler, Todd Kessler and Sherri Fox (Kessler).

In 1976, Stephen unexpectedly passed away, devastating and forever changing the family. However, Roberta and LeRoy continued lovingly raising Todd and Sherri despite the pain. Roberta returned to school and became a registered nurse, working on the cardiac floor at Doctor’s Hospital and later as a home health care nurse. In 1994 their second son, Todd was tragically taken from them in a car accident leaving behind his wife, Crystal Kessler Case. Roberta and LeRoy were able to deal with the tragedy by pouring their love into their grandchildren. Amiee and Daniel Fox were born to Roberta’s daughter Sherri and her husband Leon Fox, later to be joined by a brother named David Fox, as well as Crystal’s children Hope and Will Nutcher. Roberta doted on her grandchildren shamelessly and they loved her beyond measure. She couldn’t be more proud of each of her grandchildren and the unique gifts and talents each of them use to God’s glory.

In her final months, nothing pleased Roberta more than frequent visits by her great-grandchildren Logan and Brody, born to Amiee and her husband Travis Meier. Roberta also loved watching the progression of her soon-to-be-born great-grandson Grady as he grew inside of Amiee. Grady is due to arrive very shortly, but it is certain that he and his Great Grandma Berta have already met as they passed in Heaven’s hallway.

A Graveside Service will be held at 1:00pm on October 1, 2021 at Lakewood Memorial Park, 900 Santa Fe Ave, Hughson, CA. Gifts of remembrance in Roberta Kessler’s name can be made to Jessica’s House of Turlock, or Community Hospice of Modesto.