Sibyl Evelyn Robertson

Sibyl Evelyn Butler Robertson, 92, longtime resident of Abilene and a member of the First Baptist Church family in Abilene passed away on September 26, 2012 at a local nursing center. Funeral services will be 2:00p.m., Saturday, September 29, 2012 at First Baptist Church, 1333 N. 3rd St. with Dr. Phil Christopher and CV Blake officiating. Graveside rites will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park under the direction of Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory St. Visitation will be Friday, September 28, 2012 from 7p.m. to 8p.m. at the funeral home.

Sibyl was born on November 17, 1919 in Larue, Henderson County, Texas to Albert Sidney Butler, Jr. and Annie Belle Spruill Butler. They moved to Mexia, TX in 1922 where her father went to work in the oil fields during the oil boom there. She graduated from Mexia High School and worked for the Texas Electric Service Company until WWII began. With all of the men overseas and gone to war, she and a friend joined the Women’s Marine Corp as a bugler and she was stationed in Washington D.C.

After the third day of the invasion of Iwo Jima, Sibyl was ordered to play taps in Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in honor and remembrance of all the men that had lost their lives. Unknown to Sibyl at that time, her future husband and fellow Marine, Curtis Grady Robertson, was on Iwo Jima fighting that very same war. After the war ended and the boys came home she married Curtis Grady Robertson on May 26, 1946 and moved to Abilene. Sibyl worked as the personal secretary to Robert S. Calvert, Comptroller for the State of Texas in Austin while Grady was working on his Pharmacy degree from the University of Texas. Grady’s pharmacy career eventually returned them back to Abilene in 1956 where their son, Curtis Jr. was born. Sibyl worked for the city of Abilene until she retired.

All these years she has been a faithful Christian that dearly loved the First Baptist Church, her family, country, but most of all, the Lord!

She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Annie Butler; her brothers, Clarence and Morris Butler; and her husband, Curtis Grady Robertson.

Survivors include her sons, Curtis Grady Robertson, Jr. and wife, Susie, and Brandon Price; her sister, Mary Ann Carmean; and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Brandon Price, Stan Chapman, John Jackson, Dr. Don Wehmeyer; Buddy Warren, and Mike Taylor. Honorary pallbearer is Bruce Scott.