House fire claims life of one in Rolling Oaks
A house fire in Rolling Oaks last week claimed the life of one person and sent a second to the hospital.
Joyce Roberson, 74, of Driftwood, passed away in the fire. Her husband Dale was taken to the hospital with second degree burns, and he has since been released.
According to Hays County Officials, the fire started at 12:45 a.m. at the Roberson’s home in Rolling Oaks. The home was totally engulfed in flames when the departments arrived at the scene and is considered a total loss. The Wimberley Fire Department, Kyle Fire Department and North Hays County Fire and Rescue responded to the blaze.
There is no suspicion of foul play, but the Hays County Fire Marshal is investigating the fire.
The Roberson’s daughter told the News Dispatch that her dad and neighbor couldn’t get Joyce out of the building in time because the blaze was all-consuming.
Angel Carreon lives across the street from the Robersons and he told Fox 7 that Dale woke him up in the middle of the night asking for help.
“He came to my house at like two in the morning and knocks on my door and said ‘Angel I need help’ I said what’s going on and he said ‘my house is burning my wife is inside,’” said Carreon. “I tried going in through the back and break the windows but the fire, the fire was bad… The fire was to the top of the trees.”
The Robersons are the founders of the News Dispatch newspaper that has covered the Wimberley and Dripping Springs area since 1982. They ran the weekly newspaper until they sold it and retired in 2013. Both had previously worked for the Wimberley View decades ago.
“Dale started working for us the first year we had the newspaper in 1976,” Patrick Cox, founder of the Wimberley View, said. “When he and Joyce met, they lived here in Wimberley in Rolling Oaks and Joyce worked for us for a number of years on the business side of the newspaper… They both are wonderful people and dear friends. This is just a tragic loss.”
Cox said that beyond running a local newspaper, the Robersons have long been contributors to the community.
“They did everything from playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus at community events to Dale’s work with Rotary Club and Joyce volunteering throughout town,” Cox said. “It is tough to believe that she is gone.”
A GoFundMe page has been started to help Dale. Go to www.gofundme.com/fire-recovery-for-dale-roberson to donate. If you want to donate by check, payable to Dale Roberson, those can be mailed to the Rotary Club of Wimberley at P.O. Box 2612, Wimberley, TX 78676 or dropped off at the Wimberley Village Library.