Skip to main content

Search the Special Collections and Archives Portal

Roles, Treva

Description

Treva Roles was born March 10, 1928 to Louis and Katherine Smith, and spent her childhood in Erie, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois with five other siblings. During the Great Depression, Roles’s father used his entrepreneurial skills to turn his traveling salesman profession into a family business, selling personal inventions. Eventually, he decided to sell the business, and buy a motel out west to retire. The motel ended up being the Fair Price Motel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Roles soon moved out to help the family run it. Her parents lived on Fremont Street.

Shortly after moving to Las Vegas, Roles met Ralph Roles, a local fireman, whose family lived on West Charleston Boulevard. The two were married just three months later. While on their honeymoon, Roles’s parents purchased the Del Mar Motel, and soon after, Roles and Ralph purchased the Rummel Motel. Roles and Ralph owned and operated the Rummel Motel for 20 years, selling to Taiwanese investors in 1979.

Roles and Ralph raised their three sons, all of whom became chiropractors. In 2000, the couple fulfilled a dream of living on a golf course when they moved to Sun City Anthem. Two years later, Ralph lost his battle with Alzheimer’s. Roles’s community activities include playing mahjong and involvement with the Women’s Club at Sun City Anthem.