Ruth Roberts Obituary – Jefferson City News Tribune

Ruth Amanda McHaney Roberts, 91, of Jefferson City, Missouri, passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
She was born December 12, 1934, to Ruth Amanda Chambers McHaney and Dr. John William McHaney of Jefferson City, Missouri.  
She graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1952 and received a B.A. from Wellesley College in 1956.  The following year, she married Raymond Rohrer Roberts and moved to Farmington, Missouri where she taught high school French before starting a family.
An accomplished pianist, she taught piano, performed as a concert pianist for the Mineral Area Orchestra, and served as organist for All Saints Episcopal Church in Farmington, Missouri.
Ruth loved horticulture. She designed and cultivated an elaborate formal garden overflowing with hedges, peonies, perennials, and roses.
She possessed an adventurous spirit. Together with her husband, Ray, she explored Bahamian reefs, remote Central American rivers, and Ozark waterways.
She and her husband enjoyed gracious entertaining and accumulated a wide circle of friends. 
A devoted mother, Ruth passed on her love for music, gardening, and adventure to her children, as well as a sense of justice, concern for the environment, and a commitment to the value of education and life-long learning.
Following her husband’s death, she returned to Jefferson City, where she was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church, PEO, and the Century Study Book Club. 
She is survived by her children, the Rev. Dr. Raymond Rohrer Roberts of Richmond, Va., (wife Sallie); Ruth Amanda Newton (husband David) of Lucedale, Miss.; and Dr. Jonathan McHaney Roberts (wife Sangeeta) of Jefferson City, Mo.; grandchildren, Harrison McHaney Roberts, Katherine MacDonald Sackman, Wesley Lamar Newton, Natalie Marguerite Newton, Lydia Evangeline Newton, Miriam Ruth Newton, John Nathan Newton, Sanjay Raymond Roberts, Sonya Ruth Roberts; and great-grandchildren, Anne Martin Sackman and George Thomas Sackman.
She was predeceased by her husband and her brother, James Robert McHaney. 
A service celebrating Ruth’s life and the promise of the resurrection will be held at the Chapel of First Presbyterian Church, 324 Madison St., Jefferson City, on Saturday, April 11 at 11 a.m.  The family will receive visitors and friends prior to the service at 10 a.m. Inurnment will take place at Riverview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her name to the First Presbyterian Church of Jefferson City. Mo. ( and the Rachel Carson Council (
Arrangements are under the direction of HOUSER-MILLARD Funeral Directors, 2613 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65109. (573) 636-3838.
Condolences may be left for the family online at www.millardfamilychapels.com.