Roberta B. Freeman, 86, of Sturgis, South Dakota, passed away on April 5, 2023, at Rapid City Monument Health, Rapid City, SD.

Roberta was born in Lead, SD, May 19, 1936, to Benjamin and Florence (Warren) Bauer in their home on Terraville Avenue.  The family moved many times and she ended up going to school in Lead and Rapid City, SD. While going to high school in Rapid City she met William (Corky) Bausch and they were married in 1951. While in Rapid City four children were born: Linda Newland, Larry Bausch, Robert William (Bill) Bausch, and Kay Marie Grant. The family moved to Sturgis in 1963. Roberta worked as a waitress at Philtown in Sturgis and at the Sturgis Community Nursing Home. In 1965 she went to work at the Fort Meade VA Hospital in the Dietary Department, serving our veterans until 1980. Her marriage to Corky Bausch ended in 1979.

Shortly after she met Clifford Freeman. He was a bachelor with no family, and he proposed by saying, "If we get married then your kids would be my kids." He loved them all and Clifford and Roberta were married on May 21, 1980. Being a rancher, he moved Roberta out to the ranch at Union Center, SD, where they lived happily for 10 wonderful years. Cliff died in 1990, but Roberta stayed on the ranch until 1994 when she finally sold the place and moved back to Sturgis. It was then that she began her nine-year career with Dietary Services and Housekeeping at Sturgis Community Hospital. After her retirement she became a Foster Grandparent at Sturgis Elementary School, working 10 years with Melissa Pankrantz and her Kindergarteners, 3 ^rd graders, and 4 ^th graders. She loved working with the children fondly remembers her grandchildren coming to her classroom to eat her snacks!

For 10 years, during the summers, she volunteered at the Sturgis Public Library, helping the Children's Librarian. She was nominated and received the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2014 but wasn't able to be at the ceremony because she broke her arm the day before! She was spokesperson for the Foster Grandparent program, appearing on television and radio several times.

Roberta is survived by her children; Kay (Dale) Grant, Linda Newland, Larry (Roxanna)Bausch; grandchildren, Misty (Tim) Meyers, Marcy Paklin, Chad Paklin, Cathleen (Edward) James, Brittney Bausch, Shawn Bausch, Shawn Paulson, Lisa Mickelson, Amada Cates, and Josh Bausch; brother, Walt (Rose) Bauer; sister, Doris Ward; 18 great grandchildren, 3 great great grandchildren; and wonderful neighbor and helper, Dave Murtha.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Cliff; son, Bill Bausch; 2 great grandsons, Jaden and Devon; 2 brothers; and 2 sisters.

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