Roberta Fern Ditto Duckstein

Roberta Fern Ditto was born February 27, 1933 in Kansas City, Missouri to Robert A. and Fern Ditto. She was known to most people as “Bobbi” and was the youngest of five children. She was baptized into Christ at the age of 14 at the Neosha, MO Church of Christ and remained a faithful Christian until her death on Monday, December 23, 2019 at the age of 86.

Bobbi attended school in Neosha and Joplin, Missouri. She graduated from Joplin High School in 1951. Bobbi always enjoyed music, especially singing church songs. She sang with the Sweet Adelines for several years in the 1960s. When her parents became ill, she cared for them for a number of years in their home until their death. She worked for Jefferson Lines for 15 years as an Accounting Clerk, retiring in 1980. Bobbi was married to Clifford Duckstein on August 22, 1980 in Raytown, Missouri. She sold the family home and moved to Iowa with her new family. When Bobbi married Cliff, she not only became a wife, but joyously took on the role of mother and grandmother all at once.

Bobbi and Cliff enjoyed hundreds of hours hiking, rock collecting, and bicycle riding. They made many camping trips to Colorado and other points west to enjoy the outdoors and nature. They were both paramedics and served on the Prairie City Ambulance crew for many years. Bobbi was a longtime member of Vandalia Church of Christ in Prairie City and will be missed by her church family. She was also a member of the Red Hat Society and enjoyed her friends at Coffee Break Bible Study in Prairie City and Senior Dinners in Mitchellville.

Bobbi was preceded in death by her husband of 32 years, Clifford, her parents, two brothers, and one sister. She is survived by her sons, Galen (Gwen) Duckstein and Dwight (Beth) Duckstein, ten grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and one on the way. Also surviving are her brother, Lloyd (Sarah) Ditto, nephew, John Ditto, nieces, Brenda Holloway and Donna Cupp, and a host of friends.

Services will be held at Hamilton’s Altoona Funeral Home, 105 4th Street SW, Altoona, Iowa. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, January 3, 2020. Funeral service will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 4, 2020. Burial will take place at Vandalia Cemetery after the services, followed by a luncheon at Vandalia Church of Christ.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Vandalia Church of Christ, 13130 Marion Street, Prairie City, IA 50228 or to the Prairie City Ambulance Department, 203 E Jefferson Street, Prairie City, IA 50228.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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