Elveria Roberts

Elveria was born on January 27th, 1927 in Meeks, Georgia to the late Thomas Williams and Jerry Lampkin Williams. Her actual birth wasn’t recorded until March 10th, so if you missed her first birthday, you had a second chance to make it up to her.

Elveria was affectionally known as Aunt Vera, Mom “V”, and Mother Roberts by her family, friends, and whomever else she felt the need to take into her home and her heart.  She was the second eldest girl born to an enormous family of 17 children, all stemming from the same union. Together, the Williams family were sharecroppers on a farm in Johnson County, Georgia, in the city of Meeks.

As a young adult, Vera and her siblings left their home in Georgia and settled in Camden, New Jersey, where she lived for almost 60 years until she moved in with her granddaughter and then her son and daughter-in law in 2020.

Vera’s marriage to the late Joseph T. Roberts gifted her with two children, Dorothy (Pnut) and Joseph (Brother) and a stepson, Joseph Jr. (Moonie). She was further blessed with 8 grandchildren, 14 great- grandchildren, 1 great-great granddaughter, and a host nieces and nephews. In addition, to her own family, Vera was lovingly accepted into the Muse Family as a loving bonus Grandma to all.

As a young woman, she worked as a short order cook, a factory machine operator, and caregiver to dozens of children. Her passions included gardening, cooking, watching Martin and The Bachelorette.  If you knew her well, you knew about her chitlins, souse meat, and 7-up cake; and you better wash your hands before you dig into her pots! Over the years, everything from the peaches in the cobbler to the kale in the collard greens had been grown in her garden at one time or another. She fed the birds and the squirrels just as good as the unexpected visitor.

Mother Roberts was a faithful member of Friendship Baptist Church since 1948, selflessly giving of her time and tithes.  She was a member of the young adult choir, where she served for four years. Eventually going on to serve as member of the Senior Usher Board, adorned in white gloves and her white uniform. As a member of the Friendship Mixed Chorus, she shared her love for music and singing high praises in worship. When called upon, Mother Roberts was quick to contribute cakes, pies, and whatever else she could whip up in the kitchen.

She enjoyed sitting outside on her swing, doing wordsearch puzzles, baking, talking on the phone, and spending as much time as she could with family. She also held memberships with the N.A.A.C.P. and the Y.W.C.A in the city of Camden.  She loved taking bus trips to Sight & Sound, Lancaster and to Atlantic City.  She was a frequent traveler, traveling to Connecticut, New Hampshire, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, the Bahamas, and Canada up until her health faded.

Vera is preceded in death by her nine brothers and six sisters. She leaves to cherish her memory, her last remaining sibling, Audrey Williams. Two sisters in-love, Christine Williams and Willamae Williams. Her loving daughter, Dorothy Robinson (Barry Robinson Sr.), her devoted son Joseph A. Roberts (Lorraine), and 8 grandchildren, Barry Robinson Jr. (Mary), David Robinson (Yamileth), Tracy Forst (Daniel), Erica Tswago, Eric Roberts, Chanel Roberts-Brown (Jerry), Kristin Roberts, and Justin Roberts (Alisha). Her legacy will be carried on by her 14 great grandchildren, Chris Bell, Adelberto Urriola, Shantal Robinson, Isaiah Robinson, Brenne‘ Forst, Jacelyn Forst, Cameron Forst, Ian Forst, Lij Tswago Jr., Taniya Tswago, Kaiya Roberts, Peyton Roberts, Alani Roberts, Aleah Roberts, and one great-great granddaughter, Cerena Moore. She leaves behind a host of nieces and nephews, her extended family the Muse family, and longtime special friend Theodore Stanley, affectionately known as Stanley.

One of Vera’s most common sayings was that “she didn’t know whether she was coming or going”, but rest assured she was always there when you needed her.