Roberta Mary Stutzman

Roberta Stutzman, 97, died at Greencroft Goshen on June 26, 2026.

Roberta was born to be a teacher. She started teaching Sunday School at an early age and ended her teaching career as principal at Chandler Elementary School in Goshen, IN. She learned behavior management skills when her mother would say “Roberta, take these kids (six younger siblings) and go outside.” She graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in southern Illinois and started her teacher education at Eastern Illinois University where she was the catcher on the women’s softball team. After her children were born she finished her bachelor’s degree at Goshen College and her master’s degree at Ball State University. She made many trips to Indianapolis advocating for early childhood education to the governor and legislators.

She married Marian Stutzman on June 9, 1951. They divorced in 1985. Five years later, she surprised everyone when she and Leon Stutzman were married at the end of her retirement party. She moved to Colorado with Leon and lived there for 25 years. They enjoyed traveling together and she learned to downhill ski. Ten years ago she had some health concerns, and they moved to a retirement community in Goshen, Indiana to be closer to her children.

Roberta walked fast and worked hard. She always seemed to have the energy for one more task be it at home, church, school or 4-H. She learned she was having twins a couple hours before giving birth to identical twin girls. She loved fabric and she sewed many dresses for her girls. She liked high places and as a child she was known to run across the beams in her father’s barn. She found solitude climbing high in the trees. She always had a word of encouragement for anyone feeling down. She loved wearing hats and owned many.

Roberta was preceded in death by her parents Rex and Pearl (Beal) Price; brothers, James (Loretta), Willis (Barbara), Nelson (Joyce) and George (Mary Lee) and sisters Ruth (Billie)Harrell, Julia (James) Adams, Helen (Edward) Peters and Marie (Gene) Kolb. She was also preceded in death by her daughter Kris (Larry) Keil and an infant daughter, Kay. She is survived by her husbands; her sister Jeannette (Gene) Shepard; her children Kevin (Gerry) Stutzman, Kerry (Doug) Snell, Kelly (Don) Williams, Keith (Denise) Stutzman, and 17 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. She is also survived by stepchildren Rodney (Barbara)Stutman and Kerry (David Armitage) Stutzman and seven step grandchildren and three step great grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be planned for a later date, and the information will be available on the Yoder-Culp website.