Rev. John Nelson Roberts Sr.

The Reverend John Nelson Roberts Sr., 80 years of age, died Wednesday, November 19th, 2014 following a lengthy illness. He was a resident of Cornwall Manor. Ordained to Deacon’s Orders in the United Methodist Church, Roberts was sponsored in the ministry by Covenant UMC, Springfield, PA. During his 43 year ministry Roberts had been appointed to eight diverse congregations in Eastern Pennsylvania beginning with the Hamorton UMC near Kennett Square in 1956. He went on to serve First UMC, Columbia [ now an integral part of the Columbia UMC ], Mountainhome UMC in the Poconos, Trinity UMC in Chester, Camphor Memorial UMC in Philadelphia, Covenant UMC in Lebanon, First UMC in Bangor and finally Otterbein UMC in Lancaster from which he retired in 1998. Beginning in 2003 he served briefly as “Retiree Supply Pastor” of the Oregon Community UMC near Lancaster. In 2007 he began attending Annville United Methodist Church. Roberts took an active roll in each of the communities to which he had been assigned. For several years he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the EPC Conference as well as the District Committee on the Ordained Ministry. He was elected to the state’s 1967-68 Constitutional Convention from the 20th Senatorial District, a body charged re-writing designated sections of the constitution. Born January 10th, 1934 in Baltimore , Maryland, he was the son of the late Harold and Adelyn Morris Roberts, the late Jack Bowen, Jr. being his birth father. In Maryland his earliest years were lived out in West Baltimore before the family relocated to Woodlawn then a small, rural community in Baltimore County. He attended Woodlawn Elementary School and studied two years at Catonsville High School before being transferred to the newly formed Milford Mill HS near Pikesville. After the family moved to Springfield, Pennsylvania in 1950 he attended Springfield High School from which he graduated in 1952. He enrolled in the Philadelphia ‘s LaSalle College before Matriculating at Temple University from which he graduated. He subsequently earned a degree in theology from Crozer Theological Seminary, Chester. In Baltimore the family attended the Harlem Park Methodist Church, he later joining St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Woodlawn where he was confirmed in the faith. He had been previously christened in Baltimore’s St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church. In Pennsylvania the family united with Springfield’s Covenant Church. He graduated from Springfield High School Class of 1952. On August 24th, 1957 he and Temple classmate Eleanor Alice Raisner were united in marriage at the New Britain Baptist Church near Doylestown, Bucks County. They became the parents of three children – Mary E, wife of Joseph Kelly, Philadelphia; John Nelson Jr., husband of Patricia Dixon Roberts, Lebanon and Andrew Harold Jones, husband of Kathleen Briody Roberts, Mt. Gretna. The Roberts have six grandchildren – Laura Ashley Roberts, Brianna Roberts, Nicole Roberts, Daniel Dixon, David Dixon and Dustin Dixon. He has a great granddaughter Natalie Dixon. Following his retirement the Roberts united with the Lancaster’s First UMC. He was a member of the Lancaster Optimist Club serving as chaplain and later as President. The Roberts later moved to an assisted living facility in 2007, Hill Farm Estate, Annville. Other interests included classical and Jazz appreciation, photography and travel. His adventures having taken he and Eleanor to Europe, the Middle East and both East and West Africa. His auto – biography entitled, “This is My Story” was published in 2000. A Service of Death and Resurrection will be held on Monday, November 24th, 2014 at 11:00AM at Annville United Methodist Church, 1 N. College Ave., Annville, PA., 17003 with a viewing from 9:00AM until the time of the service. Interment will be in Covenant Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the ministry of Annville United Methodist Church, Annville.