Superintendent Neotis Roberson was born in Douglassville, Texas, on July 26, 1927, to the late Lucille Whetstone Roberson and R. B. Roberson. Neotis attended the Floyd Valley Public Schools in Marietta, Texas, where he attended school through the 10th grade. He was often pulled out of school to work the farm so his parents could meet their financial obligations to the landlord. The blessings of the Lord were soon manifested upon his life. Neotis was the second of four children: one sister (Mae Lois), two brothers (Napoleon, his twin), and Brice Lee. Neotis married Hiawatha Buford on October 27, 1949. Neotis often said, "I got the best looking one of those Buford girls". Eight children were born to this union, three boys and five girls.

Neotis received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in 1950. He was called to preach in 1957 under the leadership of Elder J.L. Lyons at Jones Hill Church of God In Christ. Neotis became the pastor of Jones Hill in 1962. Over his lifetime, Neotis pastored two additional churches, Roberson Temple Church of God In Christ and Wallace Memorial Church of God In Christ, full-time for many years. He was dedicated to the ministry while working full-time until he was 62. Often having only one night off per week, on Mondays. And even Mondays were taken for some years at Cason Church of God In Christ, where he served as the interim pastor for several years. Neotis was appointed as the Superintendent of the Texarkana District in the Church of God In Christ, headquartered in Texarkana, Texas, in 1984 by Bishop F. L. Haynes. At the beginning of this appointment, he oversaw thirteen churches. During the 1990s, Supt. Neotis also served as interim Supt. of the Marshall District, Marshall, Texas, after the death of Superintendent Turman and as interim Superintendent of the Lotta District after the death of Superintendent Payne, appointed by the late Bishop Frank W. Smith, Jr., Texas Northeast Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.

Supt. Roberson was loved and supported by his wife, First Lady Hiawatha Roberson. She was dedicated to Supt. Roberson's work in the ministry. First Lady Roberson dedicated countless hours to bookkeeping for the churches pastored by Supt. Roberson. For the district, state, and national work, she ensured funds were accurate and ready for submission to meet financial requirements. Oftentimes, the First Lady carried on at Jones Hill when Supt. Roberson was present at one of the other two churches. She must be honored for his longevity, not only in the ministry, but also in life.

Supt. Roberson loved raising horses and cattle throughout his life. He enjoyed riding for pleasure and was also known for breaking horses for others to ride. His actions inspired those in his home, community, and churches. Supt. Roberson loved the Lord according to Mark 12:30. He was a bible-based, Holy Ghost-filled preacher. The topic of his last sermon, in his home in 2025, was "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand". He definitely was a man of faith who demonstrated the power of God both in his daily life and in ministering to the saints of God. He experienced many healings in his own life and encouraged countless others to stand on God's Word and believe God for their healing. He stood as a symbol of righteousness and taught the Word regardless of whether it was popular or not. Supt. Roberson sought to embody the Spirit of Christ in all that he did. We can all reference Hebrews 6:10 and say, "Let the work that Supt. Roberson has done speak for him". He loved God's Word – studying and meditating on it day and night. He believed in God's providence and that God is intimately concerned with every detail of our lives. He often said: "God is over all and through all and in all." When faced with trials and tribulations, there are two scriptures he stood on: Romans 8:28, which says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" and James 1:2-3, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." God favored him throughout his life. When asked, "Daddy, how did you know that?" His reply was, "The Holy Ghost told me" or "The Holy Ghost showed me". As he experienced roadblocks during life's journey, he remained steadfast, unmovable, and always abounded in the work of the Lord. As in Isaiah 50:7, he set his face like a flint and continued to trust God to see him through. He would share today "I know in whom I believe" and he would quote 2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing".

Preceding in death are his parents, siblings, Mae Lois and Napoleon, son, Neotis Jr., daughter, Nykoa Craig Jacques, granddaughters, Andrea Clark and Meatrice E. Smith, and sons-in-law, Earnest Clark, Cornelious Arberry II, and Arthur L. Jacques.

Leaving to cherish his memories are his wife of 75 years, Hiawatha Buford Roberson, children, Erwin Roberson Sr. (Vonceille), Altheoris Roberson, LaGuan Arberry, Darlene Clark, Darrell Roberson, Sr. (Tonia Garner), Regina Dancy (Maurice), and Dr. V. Gail Turner (Williamson), daughter-in-law, Aretha Roberson (Neotis Jr.), thirty six grandchildren, thirty great grandchildren, fourteen great-great grandchildren, special nieces, adoptive daughters and sons, and a host of extended family. Neotis was a man who touched his family, church, and community in countless ways, and he will be missed.

Supt. Roberson spoke about the many phases of his life when we celebrated his 98th birthday early, during the July 4, 2025, weekend. Please reference the remaining text to review a portion of those many phases of his life.

Employment and Military History - Neotis started working on the family farm at age six, and his first job was plowing. At 13, he began raising hogs; at 15, he started raising cows. At age 16, he and his sister worked as summer aides at Red River Army Depot. They made enough money to help build their parents' home. Neotis joined the military, served in the United States Air Force, and was stationed at Barksdale Field in Louisiana. Neotis' military operations specialty was an aircraft rescue firefighter (1383 MOS). During his Air Force career, missions required travel throughout many Southern states. As an extra duty, he served as an escort officer, escorting prisoners to designated locations, requiring him to wear a firearm. He bought his parents their first car in 1948, a 1936 Ford. He made a monthly allotment for his mom, Lucille, while in the Air Force of $40.00 out of his $90.00 monthly salary. Even at a young age, he was a giver.

​In 1949, Neotis was honorably discharged from the Air Force and returned to Texas. Post his military stint, Neotis attended Veterans Affairs offered schooling. He attended and completed Auto Mechanic School in Linden. During his auto mechanic training, he won the distinction of being called the best carburetor builder in the class. Neotis also attended Cabinetry School in Atlanta.

​Neotis went on to work at Red River Army Depot, where he was an assembly line grade-eight mechanic and built trucks. As life does change, Neotis was laid off from Red River Army Depot and became a construction worker for C. H. Feace, a construction company in Dallas, where he built buildings. Neotis also worked as a brick contractor at that time. Neotis transitioned to a job closer to home and worked at Bob Sandlin car dealership in Mount Pleasant five days a week, eight hours daily, for $29.60 weekly. He was laid off at Christmas. Instead of being angry, he replied, "Thank you, I am going back to Dallas so I can make some money."

​Upon returning to Dallas for work, the Uvalde Construction Company hired Neotis as a construction worker. He worked throughout many cities in Texas to build freeways, where he drove the finishing machine. He was with this company for 11 years and became a foreman after his second year. In 1966, Neotis made the move to come closer to home again and gained employment at Thiokol Corporation in Karnack. He was a light equipment operator. Neotis experienced a break in service due to a reduction in force (RIF). In the interim, he went to work as a contractor at Red River Army Depot in Texarkana for about six months. The RIF was terminated, and he returned to Thiokol Corporation. During his seven-year tenure at Thiokol, Neotis worked in multiple positions, including watch tower and light truck operators. A government inspector from Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, visited Thiokol to perform an inspection. During their conversation, he recommended that Neotis give a two-week notice and take the electric-related job at Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative in Douglassville. Neotis gave his resignation letter that day after learning that the plant would soon close. In 1973, Neotis started employment at Bowie-Cass. He began at Bowie-Cass as a lineman and was promoted to foreman shortly thereafter. He was the first Black foreman at Bowie-Cass. While at Bowie-Cass, he participated in two labor relations investigations. The findings of the investigation were that some of the employees were overworked. As a result, the workload was redistributed. Those who worked with Neotis often commented on how hard he worked and how he followed the rules of the job to ensure the safety of his crew. Neotis retired from Bowie-Cass at 62 after sixteen years of service.

Community – Supt. Roberson was a community man. Some of his notable actions are below.

• Neotis had a vision for the community in which he lived. He commissioned the build of a sizeable lake across several acres accessible to those within and outside the community, free of charge for fishing and other enjoyment.

• Neotis helped widows obtain land to build homes, lent money to those in need, and co-signed loans. At times, those loans went unpaid and Supt. had to repay loans from personal funds. And when the lent funds were not repaid, Supt. Roberson prescribed to Luke 6:35 – "… and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, …"

• Served on the Promotion Review Board at Bowie-Cass.

• Served on the Board at the Marietta Community Center.

• He assisted the Newland and the Swint families, within the community, free of charge, in maintaining their properties during their absences or illnesses.

• Counseled couples experiencing marriage challenges.

• Visited the sick and shut-in, providing prayers, words of encouragement, and financial gifts.

• Provided free transportation for church members for local, district, state, and national meetings.

• Provided free transportation for doctors' appointments to areas requiring extended travel time for church members and those in the community.

• Poured concrete for several homeowners throughout the East Texas area, setting up driveways and walkways at times free of charge.

• Trained community youth on the horse breaking and concrete pouring processes.

• During his years working in Dallas, he assisted young and older men with obtaining employment and provided transportation for those same men.

• Presided over weddings and funeral services free of charge throughout East Texas and Dallas.

• Served for over twenty-six years as the President of the Haskin, Henderson, Johnson, Mitchell, and Roberson Family Reunion.

Land and Home Ownership - Neotis purchased several parcels of land throughout his lifetime, some of which his family sharecropped. He built three homes and a cabin for his family.

Ranching and Farming – In addition to owning land, Neotis leased over 300 acres of land during the height of his ranching career, where at one time he had almost 100 head of cattle and 60 head of horses. He saw the benefits of farming. He, his wife, and children planted crops that went to market, especially cucumbers, grew sorghum from which syrup was made for the family, and during the summer hay season, he employed local young men to haul hay and young ladies to drive the trucks. As a lover of horses, Neotis started horse ownership in his teens with a horse named Smokey. The horse was so well-trained that if commanded while someone was riding Smokey, and Neotis said, "Do away with him", the horse would throw the person off. Yes, Neotis has a sense of humor. After the death of Smokey, he owned a horse named Dixie, a gentle horse that allowed the children to ride without incident or accident. Neotis believed in having the right equipment for his farming needs and purchased a tractor with a cab enclosure featuring an air conditioner and a radio. This type of purchase was unheard of for a Black man at that time. Neotis used the element of fire to help maintain his property. He saw fire as a method to clean the land and speed up new growth to help with better crops, grass, and hay for his livestock.

Family Man - Neotis ensured his children attended church at local, district, state, and national levels, allowing for spiritual enrichment and an opportunity to experience cross-country travel. Neotis believed in education, supporting many of his children in achieving certifications and college degrees. He supported with money, cars, and encouragement. He ensured his children experienced farming and ranching, taught them how to drive at an early age, and showed by example that home and land ownership were important. He often said, "Keep your name good, because that is all you will have sometimes". In other words, keep your credit good, and you can use your name to obtain credit for the essentials of life when you have no cash.

​Over the years, before his health declined, Neotis traveled to support grandchildren graduating from high school, college, and graduate school. He provided generous graduation gifts to assist in the transition from college life to becoming independent citizens. Over the years, he spent many hours taking grandchildren and great-grandchildren to the country store to purchase snacks of their choosing. He dedicated time to mentoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren, allowing them to develop valuable life skills, including teaching them how to drive vehicles and farm equipment.

Christian Walk - During Neotis' young adult years, he was part of a quartet group, singing God's praises throughout various cities in Texas, and he was a self-taught guitarist and played for many years at his churches for general meetings and the choir.

Pastoral Tenure – Supt. Roberson was a visionary in the ministry, dealing with church and land acquisitions. A five-acre tract was purchased for Jones Hill Church of God In Christ in Marietta, and two acres were kept to establish the Jones Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is not only for the church members and their families, but also for the entire community at no cost to anyone. During his pastoral tenure at Omaha Church of God In Christ, additional land was purchased to construct a new edifice, and the church was renamed to Roberson Temple Church of God In Christ to honor his work and dedication. During his pastoral tenure at Wallace Memorial COGIC, Texarkana, Supt. Roberson purchased additional lots to build a new edifice there as well. An additional lot was purchased across the street to support continued membership growth. And Jones Hill was not left out with renovations to the existing building, including enlarging the sanctuary, adding a cafeteria, and bricking the building.

Superintendent Tenure - As a superintendent in the Texas Northeast First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, Dallas, he served under the late Bishops F. L. Haynes and J. Neaul Haynes. He later transitioned to the Texas Northeast Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, headquartered in Mount. Pleasant, under the leadership of the late Bishop Frank Walter Smith, Jr. While with Bishop Smith, Supt. served as the Jurisdiction's treasurer for twelve years. During that tenure, he provided oversight for a seven-figure budget. Neotis resigned from his post after the death of Bishop Smith, with whom he had a solid Christian brotherly foundation built on trust. Neotis turned over all records and funds to the International Bishop.

​In the early 2000s, he was a part of the Texas Northeast Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, Tyler, under the leadership of Bishop David R. Houston. Around 2010, he became a part of the Texas Northeast First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, headquartered in Dallas, under the leadership of the late Bishop J. Neaul Haynes. He served faithfully until Bishop Haynes's death. After the death of Bishop Haynes, Supt. Roberson was instrumental in helping to establish the Texas Metropolitan Jurisdiction, Fort Worth, under the leadership of Bishop Reginald L. Williams in 2016. In 2015, Neotis attended the Dallas Organizational Meeting for Jurisdictional Split. The International Bishop expressed his intent to appoint several bishops from Bishop Haynes' work; however, Bishop Haynes' son-in-law, Auxiliary Bishop Williams, was not one of them. Through the providence of God, Supt. Roberson spoke up on Auxiliary Bishop William's behalf, and authorization was given for the appointment. After the death of Bishop Williams, Superintendent Roberson served with Pastor N'Namdi's support under Bishop Joseph Jackson's leadership. Regardless of which jurisdiction Supt. Roberson was a part of, he served faithfully in various roles, supported with his presence at jurisdictional meetings, until his health deteriorated, and always met or exceeded monetary requirements.

​Supt. Roberson participated in the National COGIC conventions for more than 50 years. He was dedicated to meeting his financial obligations and reported promptly with annual travels to the International Holy Convocation.