SPEARVILLE – Roberta "Bertie" Droste, 87, died Monday, January 13, 2025 at Southwind at Spearville.

She was born March 17, 1937 in Kinsley, the daughter of George Willard and Florence Mildred (Robbins) Heacock.  She was a graduate of Lewis High School and a lifetime area resident.  On December 27, 1959 she married Leonard J. Droste at the Church of Christ in Lewis.  Roberta and Leonard worked as a team through thick and thin.  She was passionate about their farm and custom hay work.  She took pride in saying that she had stacked over 1 million square bales in her career.  For 19 years she worked as a tax preparer for H&R Block in the Larned and Dodge City offices as well as many years at the FSA Office in Kinsley measuring maps.  Her talents were endless as a seamstress, quilter, mastering machine knitting, needlepoint crocheting and gardening.  She was an avid follower of all the activities of her children and grandchildren.

She was a member of the Dodge City Church of Christ and Spearville Senior Center.

Survivors include: 2 daughters, Tammy Imel and husband Chuck, Kingsdown and Twyla Horacek and husband Brian, Kinsley; 6 grandchildren, Brooke Imel, Brittany Imel and husband Adam Cooper, Brandi Imel, Dustin Horacek and wife Sydney, Samantha Gotschalk and husband Cole and Heath Horacek; 9 great grandchildren, Teagan and Gavin Romero, Hannah, Hunter, Hope and Henry Horacek, Jett Imel Cooper and Calum and Slade Gottschalk; and her brother, Gary Heacock, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Leonard, on February 5, 2020, her son, Roger Droste, her sister, Erma Mallet and a brother, Laverne Heacock.

Graveside services will be at 1:00 pm Friday, January 17, 2025 at Hillside Cemetery, Kinsley, with Pastor Errol Hainer officiating.  There will be no public visitation.  A celebration of her life will follow the graveside at the Parish Center in Spearville beginning at 2:00 pm.

The family suggests memorials to Southwind at Spearville or Dodge City Church of Christ both in care of Ziegler Funeral Chapel, 1901 N. 14th Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801.