Roberta Dodson

Grand Junction, Colo.

Roberta Jean Dodson, known to most as Bobbie, passed away on April 2, 2026, in Grand Junction, Colorado. She was 97 years old.

Bobbie was born on March 24, 1929, in Lansford, North Dakota, to Robert J. and Gertrude Baggenstoss Patterson. She grew up in the wide-open spaces of North Dakota, where she developed the fierce independence and sharp wit that would define her for the rest of her life. Anyone who spent even a few minutes with Bobbie knew she was quick with a joke and never short on opinions, delivered with a humor that could light up any room.

Bobbie married the love of her life, Ernest Dodson, and together they built a full and adventurous life. They lived all over the country and beyond. World traveling was her great passion, and she pursued it with remarkable dedication. Over the course of her life, Bobbie visited every continent on the globe, including Antarctica. After Ernie passed away, Bobbie returned to North Dakota and lived most of her remaining years in Minot.

Beyond her travels, Bobbie was simply good company. She had a way of making people feel at ease, of cutting through the serious moments with a perfectly timed quip, and of standing on her own two feet no matter what life threw her way.

Bobbie was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Dodson; her father, Robert J. Patterson; her mother, Gertrude Baggenstoss Helming., her sisters Elaine Heidbreder and Gail DeMoe and her brothers Dennis Helming and Mark Helming. She is survived by her son, Grant Dodson, her daughter, Joan Strother, two granddaughters, Kelly Dougan and Courtney Strother and two great-grandchildren who will all carry her stories, her laughter, and her adventurous spirit forward.

Published by The Minot Daily News, May 1, 2026.