Nona Belle Roberts

Nona Belle (Nonie) Roberts ended her battle with an extended illness on January 3, 2016. She was the only child born to Leonard and Rose (Mitchell) Miller at home on February 9, 1926 in Snohomish, Washington, where she resided her entire life. After graduating from Snohomish High School, she attended Central Washington University before working at the Oak Harbor Naval Base. She loved dancing the Jitterbug and Lindy at weekend dances held there, but it was back in Snohomish, at The Eagles Hall dance she attended on her 20th birthday, that she noticed the tall, handsome man across the room. She married Warren 6 months later. They were married 68 years. Warren preceded her in death in 2015. She leaves their three children; Christine, Len (Denise) and Conni, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Nonie was a longtime member of St. John’s Episcopal Church where a memorial service will take place on January 21 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice.

Nonie had many talents and creative interests. She organized Holiday Bazaars and did beautiful floral arrangements for Easter Sundays at St. John’s. She was a self-taught seamstress who developed skills that sewed everything from doll clothes to bridal attire. She was also an avid crafter who could work wonders with dried flowers and a glue gun. Nonie loved everything about Christmas from gift giving to decorating. She wrapped presents in ornate foil papers with wide velvet ribbon bows so gorgeous that you almost hated to unwrap them. Her Christmas trees were color-themed works of art, laden with hand beaded and hand sewn ornaments that when lit made things feel truly magical. She loved growing her own flowers and always had fresh-picked bouquets with some of her favorites - lily-of-the-valley, lilacs, sweet peas, and roses – filling the house with their fragrant sweetness. She also liked growing her own fruits and vegetables and found great delight in making fresh rhubarb pie, raspberry and strawberry jam, blueberry buckle, and zucchini bread to share with everyone. There was nothing quite like crunching into one of her home canned dill pickles!

Nonie would have loved to have traveled more. Her idea of exciting places was different from Warren’s, and after accompanying him on many trailer took her trip of a lifetime in the mid 1980’s to Ireland, Scotland, and England with a friend.

She loved beauty in the many forms it came to her whether through a scenic mountain view, music, art, or flowers. Reading was a favorite pastime of hers that she enjoyed sharing through the many book clubs she was involved in.

Relationships were the main focus of Nonie’s life, however, and she had many. Several close friends were like sisters to her, but her greatest love was always with her family whom she lovingly dedicated the major portion of her life. We miss her and all we shared with her, but are comforted by the love she leaves in each of us that will never go away.