Roberta Keith

Roberta Keith, 94, of Carlsbad, died September 25, 2015. Cremation has taken place and a memorial will take place at a later date. Denton-Wood Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Roberta Keith was born in Millcreek, Oklahoma on July 14, 1921. She grew up and graduated from high school in Drumright, Oklahoma. She married George Gerald "Jerry" Keith of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Roberta was chosen Miss Drumright in 1941 and went on to become first runner up in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant that same year. Singing in the pageant led to singing with a dance band in Tulsa that summer. One night an exceptional dancer named Jerry Keith was at a dance, just back from New York, he was visiting some of his buddies in the band. After the dance, the band worked on a couple of tunes and Jerry asked Roberta to dance. As he put it later, "I threw everything I could think of at you and you didn't miss a step." They fell in love, married, and eventually ran their own dance studio, The Pink Barn, in Tulsa for over 25 years. In 2002, 5 years after Jerry died, Roberta moved to Carlsbad, NM to live with her daughter, son-in-law and her grandson. After recovering from surgery to replace both hips, she enjoyed seeing Chris' high school graduation activities and volunteering at the Carlsbad Public Library. Roberta is survived by her daughter, Vicki Kirchner and husband, Tom of Carlsbad, NM; grandson, Christopher Kirchner of Fort Collins, Colorado and many loving nieces and nephews. Thanks and appreciation to Lakeview Home Health for the years of care in her daughter's and son-in-law's home. Kellie Sosa and Jolene Brownlee merit special thanks for their faithful visits at the end of her life. A donation to Carlsbad Friends of the Library, 101 South Halagueno Street, Carlsbad, NM 88220 is suggested in lieu of flowers. Condolences may be expressed at dentonwood.com.