Guinevere Melissa Roberts, 88, a resident of Mount Vernon, passed away on Friday, September 7, 2007 at the Skagit Valley Hospital following a courageous battle with cancer.
She was born on April 22, 1919 in the Burlington Hospital, the daughter of Frank & Minnie Vandenburg Maddox; she was the only one of her siblings to be born in a hospital.
Guinevere was raised in the Day Creek community where she attended grade school and she graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1938.
During her youth she learned to play the banjo, accordion and piano which helped formulate a love of music that would last her a lifetime. She played with her father, Frank Maddox in a band that performed for community dances. It was at one of these dances that she met William H. Roberts, to whom she married on December 23, 1939 at her Grandma Vandenburg’s house in Mount Vernon. They had one daughter, Linda, in October of 1947 and one son, Bill in October of 1950. They built a home in Mount Vernon and moved there from Sedro-Woolley in 1957, and there they raised their family and where Guinevere would live out her life.
Guinevere was a natural leader who was never afraid to express her opinion on any subject. In the early years of her marriage, her husband, Bill, was a business agent for the Woodworkers of America Union and she rose to the position of Women’s Auxiliary Treasurer.
She became a member of the L.D.S. church and took on the role of leadership in many different callings.
She helped to formulate the District 4 chapter of the Washington Old Time Fiddlers and was appointed Chairperson for many years; she was active in the local chapter of the Musician’s Union and served both as President and Secretary/Treasurer. She was never shy about asking musicians at any of the venues she attended if they were in the Union, and if not, they could count a short presentation as to why they should be.
She was a banjo player in several bands’ including Doc’s Dixieland Jazz Band. She played the banjo and her father, Frank Maddox, played fiddle; they became crowd favorites at the many Old Time Fiddlers Events they played at throughout the state.. She loved music of all kinds and was open to listening to anything including rock & roll. She tagged along to an Alice Cooper concert with her son, Bill and his friends and to a Led Zeppelin concert, both of which she raved about to the dismay of many of her friends. She also loved dancing and was an accomplished ballroom dancer, and went dancing just 6 weeks before her death.
Of all her talents, perhaps her greatest joy was being a mother; and she was also loved as a second mom to many others too. She was just a great listener and always had time to talk to friends about their problems and she had such a contagious zest for like that she uplifted even the very people she went to help. Her doctor’s would shake their heads and smile at her enthusiasm and determination towards beating her cancer. Her body aged but her mind remained young.
She was loved and will be missed by everyone who knew her. You can bet she is organizing a dance in heaven.
Guinevere is survived by her son, Bill Roberts and his companion Cindie; her daughter, Linda Seivert; her grandson, Matt Roberts and his companion Kaila and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank & Minnie Maddox; husband, Bill Roberts; 2 brothers, Percy & Warren Maddox; sister, Esther Wedin; grandson, Zachary Haley and daughter-in-law, Kathy Roberts. The family suggests memorials to Children’s Hospital or a charity of your choice.
Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 1:30 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Mount Vernon with Bishop James Christensen officiating. Interment will follow at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery. Visitation will be available at Lemley Chapel on Tuesday from 9 am to 5 pm and on Wednesday from 9 am to noon. Arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.