Obituary of Roberta Ruth Hubel

Obituary for Roberta Ruth Ballard Hubel 

Roberta R. Hubel, 86, died on April 18, 2023. She was born in Framingham, MA on February 13, 1937 to Helen (Faulkner) and Beverly C. Ballard. Roberta went to public schools in NJ from grades K-12. She lived in Elizabeth, NJ (from age 5-18) until 1955 when the family moved to Palmyra, ME. She met Kenneth Hubel while he was stationed in New Jersey. They were married at All Saints Episcopal Church in Skowhegan, ME in January of 1957. Roberta and Ken lived in MN until August of 1960 when they moved to Maine with their son Michael. They lived on her parents' dairy farm until they purchased it from her folks in Palmyra in 1963. 

Roberta was a member of the Episcopal Church from birth. She sang in the choir at All Saints in Elizabeth, NJ as well as in St. Martin's. She was a lay reader, taught Sunday school, organized many bazaars and fairs, and was chairman of the Episcopal Church Women of St. Martin's. 

She was also chairman of an Extension group in Pittsfield for many years and was the chairman of Somerset County Women's Extension at one time. Roberta did volunteer work with Somerset Hospice for about 10 years. She worked for the U.S. government's State Department of Agriculture as an enumerator for about 10 years. 

Roberta knit and crocheted many items for her family and friends and donated many more for fundraisers for her Church, Extension Service, and her children's projects while they attended school. 

Roberta, along with her husband, Ken, ran a dairy farm for many years in Palmyra which is where they raised a family of five children. Being a wife and mother was her greatest joy. Grandchildren simply added to her joy! 

Roberta was predeceased by her parents, her brother Bruce Ballard of AZ and by her brother-in-law Brian Eide in 2018. 

She is survived by her husband Kenneth and their five children: Michael Hubel and his wife Roberta and her family; Patricia Hubel; Paula Garille of MA and her three children, Gianna, Jake and Quentin; Beverly and her husband Emery Pratt of Palmyra and their three children, Shelby Wintle and her husband Tyler of Etna, Logan Pratt and his girlfriend, Heidi of Lowell, MA, and Emily Pratt and her boyfriend, Sam of Old Town; Matthew Hubel and his wife, Stacy, and their son Nicholas; her sister Linda Eide of MN and her extended family of MN; and by her brother's first wife, Marcia Kay of SC and their two sons, Brian Ballard of GA and Stephen Ballard of FL. 

Roberta also had two sisters-in-law in MN; Shirley and her husband Tom Maroney, and Diane and Gene Goldenstein and a brother-in-law, David as well as MANY nieces and nephews. 

Roberta also wanted to mention some really great friends that she had in the past, Vincent & Jean Sutera of NJ and The Rev'd Nicholas Servetas and his wife Linda of PA. 

In lieu of flowers, Roberta asked that donations be made in her memory to the Travis Mills Foundation, 747 Western Avenue, Manchester, ME 04351, or to Episcopal Relief and Development, P. O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. 

A memorial service will be held at St. Martin's Church in Palmyra at 4 pm on May 6, 2023.  Memories and condolences may be shared on her tribuet wall.