Florence Simonian

    Florence Marie Simonian was born Dec. 6, 1923, near Holyoke on the farm of her parents, Ernest and Regina (Neuhart) Roth. She died Oct. 13, 2017.
    Florence attended school at Morning View Grade School, a one-room country school near Amherst. She attended Holyoke High School, graduating in 1941.
    In 1954, she married Melvin Roberts, a farmer in the community. Three sons were born to this union.
    She moved to the Brush community in 1970 in order to be able to further her education at Morgan Community College. On Sept. 7, 1970, she was one of the first students to walk through the door of MCC, enrolling in a full courseload with a major in secretarial science. Three years later she graduated with an associate degree.
    In 1976, Florence married Charlie “Shorty” Simonian at the Sweetheart Chapel in Loveland. He died Sept. 27, 1995.
    She is survived by her five children, Valerie Zarbock of Hillrose, Allan Roth of Mesa, Arizona, David Roberts of Ogallala, Nebraska, Edward Roberts of Brush and Neal Roberts of Ogallala; her three brothers, Laverne of Gilbert, Arizona, Don of Apache Junction, Arizona, and Howard of Hesperia, California; 14 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.
    She was preceded in death by her sister, who died in infancy, her husbands and her parents.
    Funeral services were scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 19, at 10:30 a.m. at Heer Mortuary Chapel in Brush, with burial to follow in the Brush Memorial Cemetery.
    Heer Mortuary of Brush has been entrusted with the arrangements.