Roberta June Jerome

Roberta June Jerome (nee Grass), 81, of Waterloo, died Feb. 24, 2017, surrounded by her family.

She was born June 27, 1935, in Perryville, Mo., daughter of the late Joseph and Ida Grass (nee McClure).

She married Thomas Alan Jerome Aug. 20, 1960; he survives her.

Roberta was an active, longtime member of St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church in Cahokia, and Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Waterloo, where she served as a eucharistic minister and as an RCIA member.

She attended St. Vincent’s High School in Perryville, Mo. She worked at Thermafax in St. Louis as a clerk and phone sales representative. She then became a homemaker.

She worked as an usher for the St. Louis Symphony for many years, and later in life she continued her education by taking classes at Belleville Area College.

Bert was active in the Mothers Club and Room Mothers of St. Catherine Laboure School in Cahokia. She belonged to the Cahokia Junior Women’s Club and was the La Guiannee Ball properties chairman.

She enjoyed the Red Hat Society and the TLC  group, where she would share her knowledge and impart her faith with humor. She volunteered at Southern Illinois Hospice and was active in organizing class reunions for her fellow classmates.

Surviving are her beloved husband; two sisters Delores Phillips of Winter Park, Fla., and Doris Feltman of O’Fallon;  four children, Gina Jerome (Mark), Janine Jerome-Hoffman (Michael), Lori Jerome and Steven Jerome; four grandchildren, Erin Zhang (Sining), Kelsy Lakshmanan (Lucky), Leah Hoffman and Haley Hoffman; one great-grandchild, Nora Lakshmanan; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Roberta was preceded in death by her parents, her  brothers William Grass and Reverend Kenneth Grass, and sister Lillian Tinnin.

A memorial service will be 5 to 8 p.m. March 3, at Braun Family Funeral Home, Columbia.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. March 4, at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Waterloo.

As Roberta’s last act of compassion and concern, she donated her body to the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Memorial donations may be made to the Association of the Miraculous Medal, 1811 West Saint Joseph Street, Perryville, MO 63775-1598 (www.amm.org); or the American Parkinson Disease Association Greater St. Louis Chapter, 1415 Elbridge Payne Road, Suite 150, Chesterfield, MO, 63017 (www.stlapda.org).