Henry Clay McRoberts' Obituary
Henry Clay McRoberts, 100, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, passed away Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at his residence. He was born March 26, 1924, in Lincoln County, KY, to Samuel and Lucy J. (Robinson) McRoberts was a pioneering figure in the trucking industry. He began his trucking career in 1948 in Indiana with a single truck. As his business prospered, he moved to Chattanooga in 1959, where he founded McRoberts Trucking and owned the Red Bird gas station on South Market Street. His company was notable for hauling grain for major companies such as Dixie Portland, Quaker Oats, Hunter Oil, and Cargill, among others. Remarkably, during the turbulent sixties, McRoberts hired both black and white drivers, defying the norms of the segregated South. His fleet operated extensively throughout the Southeast. In the seventies, due to illness, he closed his trucking business, but continued working part-time for Cos and Ace Hardware, demonstrating his strong work ethic. He was an active member of Westside Baptist Church and the Southside Masons. Henry was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Lee, and later by his second wife, Arice. Those left to cherish his memories include his daughters, Marjion Grissom, of Chattanooga, Genivene Bryant, of Danville, KY, and Kathrine Barber, of Lexington, KY; sons, James H. Roberts, of Louisville, KY, Marcellus (Sinilia) McRoberts, and Henry C. (Angela) McRoberts, II; grandchildren, Oresse, Katrina, Kevin, Mary, Edmond, Quinn, Carissa, and Andrea; many great-grandchildren; nephews; nieces; other relatives and friends. Henry was the last surviving child of Samuel and Lucy J. McRoberts, completing the family circle in their reunion. Henry will lie-in-state on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Taylor Funeral Home. Funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel with Pastor Bernie Miller as the eulogist. Burial at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 24, 2024, in Forest Hills Cemetery.
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