For seven years, now Mona Roberts, better known as Mama Humpty, has been making North Oak Trafficway a nursery rhyme. In her yard, she has many different birdhouses hanging from each tree.

     A few years ago, construction widened North Oak Trafficway in front of Roberts’ house, and she said she didn’t feel safe.

     “They raised the street so high that I made the city put the wall in to protect us from crashes,” said Roberts.

     Roberts described herself as whimsical and wanted to add a Humpty Dumpty figurine to embellish her yard after the wall went up.

     “When they put the wall up, I said, ‘I want a Humpty, and I’m going to find a Humpty’,” said Roberts.

     For every holiday, Roberts dressed Humpty in costumes that she made herself. Kids from all over the neighborhood would come and see Humpty sitting on his wall and take pictures with him. Roberts put out bowls next to Humpty filled with toys like whistles, coloring pages and balls for the children to take.

     Then, one summer in mid-July some people decided they wanted to put Tannerite on each side of Humpty. Tannerite are explosive targets people use for target practice that blow up when shot.

    They shot at the targets while driving away, and Humpty exploded into multiple pieces around Roberts’ yard. Roberts decided it would be best if she didn’t put Humpty back up on the wall for a while.

     “I thought, you know, there are still good people left in this world. I would have eventually replaced him but needed healing time,” said Roberts.“I left remnants on the wall for him so people would know what happened to know how mean people can be.”

     Humpty stayed off the wall for about eight months until one of Roberts’ neighbors’ dads brought her a new Humpty from his statuary store.

     “He brings a lot of joy to all the ages, and it just so happened that one of my neighbors brought him back. It was a very joyful moment,” said Roberts.

     Roberts also put up a mailbox next to him so kids could give him letters, and she kept every one of them.

     “I tell the little kids that come to pet his head, It’s good luck,” said Roberts.

     Roberts wanted all the attention to be on Humpty, so she wished not to be pictured. Mama Humpty also encouraged anyone to go by and see Humpty. She would have his mailbox out and some toys for the kids.