Living

with Jim and Gayle

Memories of Mom
Martell Roberts
March 15, 1926 - September 6, 2023

It's hard to capture a person's life in just a few pictures.  Mom died at the age of 97.  Most of her life is undocumented due to a lack of digital photography plus just taking life for granted.  With the help of my sister, Lynne, I have assembled a few pictures that roughly show her life.

Mom, Francis Martell Sorenson, was born March 15, 1926.  She had a younger sister, Marian, who preceded Mom in death.

Mom, about 1927.... Mom and Marian, about 1936

Mom, Senior High School, about 1944 .... Martell Sorenson and Edward Roberts, Wedding Portrait, July 11, 1947

Roberts Family Portrait, Martell, Edward, Lynne, Anne, and Gayle, 1957

In the early 1960s, Mom bought two Yorkies -- Angel and Amber, and the family's life changed forever.  Mom had found her passion -- breeding and raising dogs.  She established Robtell Kennels, breeding Yorkshire Terriers.  From that point on, Mom bred and/or owned German Shephards, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Brussels Griffons, Long Coat Chihuahuas, Afghan Hound, Maltese, Corgis, Lhasa Apsos, Smooth Fox Terrier, and Greyhounds.

Mom at the beginning, 1966

Mom named her kennel after Dad (Roberts) and herself (Martell).  The name changed from Rob-Tell to RobTell to Robtell.  She bred some of the highest quality yorkshire terriers in the country.

Mom was a puppy lover and kitten lover and loved having lots and lots of animals.  She at one point even had a huge cage of parakeets and finches and a lot of rescue cats along with all of the dogs.

Anne, Martell, Lynne, Gayle, 1970 .... Gayle, Edward, Craig, Lynne, Grandma (Fran Noble), Martell, Anne, 1973.

Mom did really well with her Robtell Yorkies.  For the most part, she hired professional handlers to show her dogs.  This is a rare picture of her showing Quaid in 1993.

Dad and Mom, December, 1993

After Mom quit raising dogs, she still had them in her life.  Mom enjoyed spending a lot of time on her computer.  She started rescuing former racing Greyhounds.

Mom, March 2003 .... Mom and some of her Greyhounds, 2008

Mom, 2009 .... Mom, August 13, 2008

Lynne, Mom and Dazzie, Gayle, July, 2015 .... Mom, Dazzie, Maggie, and Santa, December, 2016

Mom and Dazzie, August 31, 2017.... Mom and Lynne going to Thornton, CO. so Mom could see it, June, 2018

Mom on her 93rd birthday (I love this one of her smiling), March 15, 2019 .... Gayle, Lynne, Mom, March 2021

Mom and Lynne on Mom's 97th birthday.  This is the last picture I have of Mom.  Soon after this, her dementia overtook her.