Roberta Ann Plaugher passed away peacefully on August 7, 2026 surrounded by love. 

Born in Lima, Ohio on August 23, 1940 to Geraldine and Rolland Tousley, Roberta was the third child of eight. Her lifelong ease in social situations stems from growing up in such an environment. Once, Roberta and her older brothers outran a tornado in Lima while delivering newspapers. She had fond memories of growing up and a profound admiration for her mother who instilled in her the importance of respect, hard work, perseverance and laughter.  

As a teenager, Roberta began working part-time for an orthodontist who recognized her communicative skills and work ethic which inspired him to highly recommend Roberta for admission to the Dental Hygiene Program at The Ohio State University after her freshman year at Bowling Green State College. 

While at Bowling Green, one of Roberta's (Bobbi's) classmates mentioned that she'd had a date with a guy from Roberta's hometown. Lowell Plaugher. She told Roberta that Lowell was a bit shy but that she ought to meet him. She did. And in 1961 at the age of 21, they eloped in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Roberta borrowing a nice dress for the occasion from her family's Lima neighbor. 

The newlyweds lived at the Smith Motel just outside of Bowling Green while Lowell completed his degree in Speech and Language Pathology. 

In early spring of 1962, Lowell and a very pregnant Roberta were flying a kite in a field when Roberta came to realize that their baby, which wasn't due for another couple weeks, had other plans. Melinda was born that very day. 

Almost a year later Lowell accepted a position at the Saginaw Public School System in Saginaw, Michigan. Shortly after the young family settled in Saginaw, they welcomed a second child. A boy this time, Michael. 

Roberta put her career on hold, focusing instead on raising her children and taking care of their home often single handedly while Lowell pursued his Master’s Degree in Psychology at the University of Michigan. She was a devoted mother and wife throughout moves back to Lima then back again to Michigan always making lifelong friends with their neighbors. When Bobbi and Lowell contracted a builder to construct their first home, they never would have guessed that that builder and his wife, Tom and Olga Champagne, and the extended family would become their Michigan clan. 

Lowell’s career involved working with Special Needs children which became an extended family affair. In Lima, Roberta, her mother, and many sisters drove school buses to transport the youngsters to school. Roberta accompanied Lowell on many excursions with students and often welcomed kids to their house. 

Roberta seemed to have inexhaustible energy.  Lowell often referred to her as the cheerleader or Energizer Bunny.  She sewed clothes for Melinda, stitched curtains and valences for each home and knitted sweaters and vests for Lowell and Michael.  She taught herself to watercolor paint and dabbled with acrylics. Her cherry and pecan pies and potato salad were in high demand at parties. She and Lowell constructed outdoor furniture and many craft items which they sold at outdoor venues  

Once the children became teenagers Roberta resumed her career as a dental hygienist at the Saginaw County Health Department. 

Roberta loved her job at the health department. She cleaned children's teeth and found real joy and satisfaction working with the kids. 

Her passion for her work was recognized by the health department and Roberta was once even awarded Employee of the Year.

From tents to pop up campers to motor homes, Roberta enthusiastically planned family camping trips across the United States as well as committing to Mrytle Beach or Florida every Spring Break and Traverse City State Park for many summer weeks.  She and her sisters often enjoyed visiting Mackinaw Island and camping and shopping in the Amish territories of Indiana as well as trips to Las Vegas. Roberta’s sister Deb was instrumental in arranging parties multiple times a year where all eight of the siblings, spouses, cousins could gather and create some of the fondest and funnies memories shared every year. Roberta also loved spending time and traveling with her many girlfriends.   

Once their children had grown up Roberta and Lowell embraced life anew, moving temporarily to beautiful Higgins Lake, playing tennis and learning to cross-country ski together. Roberta loved driving.  She continued working for the Saginaw County Health Department which now took ninety minutes one way to get there.  

Roberta loved and cherished her children’s spouses as her own children. From enjoying in depth conversations, playing poker, or helping her kids move, she was always there for them. 

Once Roberta’s grandchildren entered her life it brought a whole new level of happiness and enthusiasm, hilarity and enduring love.  She was incredibly proud of all four grandkids and loved attending sport and debate activities, recitals, plays, fishing, vacationing and visits with all of them and learning the latest reports on groundhogs, tractors and the life of a soldier. She so enjoyed weddings and adding the new spouses as her beloved grandkids.  Her great grandbaby, almost two, has brought much joy to her in these past twenty-three months. Roberta so wanted to meet the coming addition of great- grand baby number two and assuredly she will from Heaven. 

If there is one thing which everyone who knew Roberta agreed on, it was that she loved life. She had an irrepressible warmth and an easy smile which never failed to light up a room. 

Family and friends meant more to her than anything else in the world. And any get-together was always sweetened by her warm presence, her easy laugh and her genuine joy at being with people. She could find shared interests with anyone. For these reasons, and a thousand more, she will be missed.

Roberta was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lowell, her parents and her sister, Nancy. 

She is survived by her children, Melinda (James Hubinger), Michael (Nathalie); by her grandchildren, Leah (Daniel Rios), Vaughn (Kati), John and Erik; her great-grandson Adrian and a soon-to-be second great-grandchild as well; her siblings, Rolland (Sandy), James (Pat), Barbara (Rick Warnement), Linda (Ray Hughes), Rick (Sherry) and Deborah (Rick Kennedy) and the many nieces and nephews she also loved dearly.  

A funeral will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, August 15, 2026 at the W. L. Case and Company Funeral Directors, 4480 Mackinaw Rd. Saginaw, MI 48603. Visitation begins at 12:00pm followed by the service at 2:00pm. All are welcome to attend.  Roberta ‘s interment will take place at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan on Tuesday August 18th at 2:30pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting these wonderful organizations: Zilwaukee Community Foundation,  Alzheimer’s Association, Senior Services of Midland County, or St. Judes Research Hospital. Please share your words of condolence at www.casefuneralhome.com