Reba Pearl Elaine Legg Roberts, 90, of Beaumont, died Friday, April 13, 2012, at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, Beaumont. Reba was born in Jasper, to Albert and Cordelia Legg.  Her family moved to Beaumont when she was a young girl where she attended Beaumont schools and attended French High School.  She worked as a waitress at Quality Cafe and Hotel Beaumont.

At the age of 13 in 1934 having left school, Reba began her life of work.  Her first job was working for Johnny and Billie Campisi.  They owned a restaurant down on Laurel Street where she served cheap lunches to railroad men.  She made $3.00 a week working seven days a week.  Within a year she was offered and accepted a job by Mr. and Mrs. Nance in downtown Beaumont working on Crockett Street in their restaurant for $4.00 a week.

Around the time she was 14 years old, Reba was offered a better job at the Royal Palm Café working for Harry Yianitsis.  She said she also worked for Sam his brother.  Again, she was offered a better job by Jack Fruge and went to work at the Service Café for $6.00 a week.  Reba was introduced to Mr. Baker by her friend Helen Wolf who was already working at the Hotel Beaumont Coffee Shop.  Reba very directly told Mr. Baker that she had heard he was looking for a new waitress and she was immediately hired.  The manager of the Beaumont Hotel was Mr. Shoemaker and the Linens Manager was Mrs. Spann and both of them were from Meridian, Mississippi.  She was now 17 years old.

The 1950’s brought many good times to 1645 Tulane with lots of family visiting.  Reba had moved jobs one more time to Buzzy’s Café located right down the road on Gulf Street and Mariposa Street.  Buzzy’s served up a $3.50 delicious steak. 

She also worked ten years at the Gulf Street Drive in Grocery Store.

When World War II began she went to Lamar and learned to weld.  She then went to work at the Orange ship yards building destroyers where she met her husband A. E. “Gene” Roberts, Sr. and they married after the war.  They made their home in Beaumont and she resumed her waitress job.  Although she was told she would never have children they were blessed with two sons and she became a full-time mom.  She loved to fish and she loved to cook for the entire family.

After the sudden death of her husband in 1973, she continued living for her sons and went back to work.  She was proud of her sons and their accomplishments, both are college graduates with productive careers.  Reba loved her family.

She was a very strong-willed woman who was told in 2003 that she would only live three to six months and she proved the doctors wrong. Over the last six years, Reba enjoyed her time each week with friends at respiratory therapy at Baptist Hospital. She was very independent and loved her canine companions over the years.

She is survived by her sons, Alvin and his wife, Patti of Lumberton and Mark and his wife, Shizue of Okinawa, Japan; sister-in-law, Billie Jean Legg of Silsbee; grandchildren, Matthew Roberts and his wife, Amanda of Beaumont, Emma Roberts of Austin, Julia Roberts of Okinawa, Japan; Nikki Durio and her husband, Kevin of Atlanta, Georgia; Eric Roberts and his wife, Vanessa of Las Vegas, Nevada and Brian Roberts of Beaumont; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great nieces, great-great nephews; and her little dog, Chica.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene Roberts; brothers, Gordon Legg and Bill Legg; sister, Ruby Hanzel Johnson; step-son, Bennie Gene Roberts; niece, Ruby Pearl Marshall; grandsons, Joel David Roberts, William Shin Roberts, and James David Uehara Roberts who greeted her in heaven early Friday morning.

A gathering of her family and friends will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Saturday, April 14, 2012, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. Her graveside service will be 3:00 p.m., Sunday, April 15, 2012, at Magnolia Cemetery, 2291 Pine Street, Beaumont, under the direction of Broussard’s.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association, P.O. Box 841125, Dallas, Texas 75248 or visit www.americanheart.org.