Mary Lee Drake Roberts, age 77, of Gurley, Alabama, passed away on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. She was in her home when she passed. Mary Lee grew up in Hornbeck, LA, with her parents and her Grandmother, Lizzie (Gibson) Ross.

She was preceded in death, by AC Roberts her husband of 41 years, her father and mother, Frank Battle Drake and Bernie Lee (Ross) Drake; her Grandmothers, Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Belvin) Drake and Lizzie (Gibson) Ross. She was also preceded in death by her step-son, Jonathan David Roberts, and two step-grandsons, Ethan Caleb Taylor James and Michael DeWayne Webb.

Mary is survived by her son, Paul Daniel Roberts of Gurley, AL, and by three step children: Rebecca Roberts Anglin (and her husband Tim) of Yankton, South Dakota; Anita Roberts and Travis Roberts of Hornbeck Louisiana and two grandchildren: Charles warren Alderson III and Nicole Alderson of South Dakota.

Prior to Mary's graduation from high school recruiters from the Personnel Office at Fort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk, Louisiana, visited the local high schools recruiting graduates who might be interested in taking the clerical test for positions located at Fort Polk (now fort Johnson). Mary began her Federal career on October 13, 1964, in the Personnel Office at Fort Polk (Johnson) LA. She worked in different positions in Technical Services and in the Recruitment and Placement branches. She was working at Fort Polk (Johnson) before automation of individual personnel records began, and she worked as part of the team that automated these records. She assisted with several reductions in force at the base. She processed death claims, assisted those with workers compensation issues, and retirements. She transferred to the South Central Regional Civilian Personnel Operations Center, at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, in June 1997. She arrived just in time to lead her team in processing an ongoing local reduction in force. She developed numerous training aids and guides to assist others with calculations and determinations (on pay, veterans preference, retirement plans, etc.) she cherished this type of work and helping others. She retired on March 3, 2007, but later accepted work with the local Redstone Personnel Office and worked there several more years, accumulating more than 48 years of Federal service.