Lydia Byrne Roberts, 92, died Tuesday, February 17, 2004 at her residence at Oak Gardens, Altoona. She was born in Savannah, Georgia on April 18, 1911, the daughter of Frank M. and Sophie (Finckel) Byrne. She moved to Jackson Heights, NY with her family where she met her future husband, Elliott R. Roberts the first day of high school. They celebrated their 70th Anniversary in December of 2003. \r\nAfter living in New York and Evanston, Illinois, they spent the next sixty years in Englewood and Tenafly, NJ until moving to Altoona, WI in 1999 to be near their daughter and son-in- law, Heather and Scott Kirby. \r\nDuring her years as a secretary, Lydia worked for physicians at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. She also assisted author Margaret E. Sangster, Jr., writer of the scripts for the radio program My True Story. After her husband's retirement, they worked together to organize a medical research project on epilepsy for a doctor who was writing a book on the subject. Lydia loved the years she spent as a Girl Scout leader and a volunteer at the local hospital in Englewood. She was a passionate reader and treasured the many exciting trips abroad she and her husband shared. \r\nLydia is survived her husband, Elliott; her daughter, Heather (Rev. Scott) Kirby of Eau Claire; two grandchildren, Cheryl (Dr. Michael) Kirby-Stokes of Morgantown, KY and Robert (Ronda) Kirby of Bennington, KS; and three great grandchildren, Brandon, Austin and Jessica Kirby, all of Bennington, KS. \r\nShe was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Anna-Marie Millett. \r\nA Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 13, 2004 in the chapel at Oakwood Villa Nursing Home, 2512 New Pine Dr., Altoona with Sister Mary Jane Cournoyer officiating. Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral and Cremation Services assisted the family.

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