Essie Dell Robertson was born in Vienna, Louisiana on November 24, 1931, to Theo Miller and Rosie B. (Mayfield) Miller. She was the second oldest of 6 surviving children and the 2nd daughter. Her sister Ann was the oldest, then Essie followed by Joseph, Theodis, Roosevelt and Romeo Terry. Around the same time Romeo Terry was being born, Essie was graduating from high school. Essie was the last of her siblings to depart this life on October 21, 2024.

She often told the story of how as a young child, the family was “stolen” in the middle of the night from Louisiana and relocated to Pine Bluff, Arkansas by her maternal grandfather. Her parents had been sharecroppers and due to a dispute, the landowner was threatening harm to her father, Theo, so Rosie’s father came in a pickup truck and “stole” them away buried under blankets in the bed of the truck.

Essie spent her formative years in Pine Bluff where she graduated from high school. Shortly after graduation, she and her sister Ann relocated to Denver looking for a better life. They had been summoned by their aunt Helen who said there was a lot of opportunity in Denver.

Essie’s first jobs were as a house cleaner (which she disliked) and then as a candy striper in a hospital maternity ward. She quickly left that job because she was too emotionally affected when caring for sickly and/or terminally ill newborns. One day, she gave a friend a ride to apply and test for a position with Martin Marietta, now known as Lockheed Martin. While there she was convinced to also take the test. In the end, the friend did not get hired, but Essie walked away with the job. After many years of employment, she would later retire from Martin Marietta as a soldering engineer having built parts for satellites and space shuttles.

In her earlier years, Essie had 2 marriages that produced her three oldest children, the twins Melva and Melvin and later George. The marriages didn’t last, but she had great love and affection for her children and often spoke of the struggle of being a single mother in those times. She talked about having to share one can of Campbell’s soup for dinner many nights between herself and the twins. Around 1960, while out partying at a supper club with her best friend Grace Lawrence, she met an airman, William H. Robertson, Jr. who was in town for training. They would fall in love and be married in 1962 and from their union came another daughter, Tanya. They had a lasting marriage until William’s unfortunate passing in 1992.

Essie enjoyed calculating her dog book and placing bets at the dog track. A hobby she picked up from her father, Theo. She also enjoyed traveling, especially to Las Vegas and spending time with her good friends Grace and Ess(ie)Williams and her children. She was a no B.S. type of person and was known for her quick wit and dry sense of humor. Essie was a very strong-minded person, fiercely protective of her children and worked hard to provide them with every opportunity she could. She loved her Denver Broncos and watching Jeopardy, especially with host Alex Trebek.

Essie Dell leaves behind to cherish her memory her beloved children, Tanya Robertson Downes (Terry) and George Robertson, two grandchildren Eric Young and Anisa Harris, six great grandchildren and a host of other relatives.