Esther Jabs

January 28, 1927 - December 4, 2018

Esther Ruth Jabs died peacefully in her Corvallis home from complications of stroke on December 4, 2018. She was born the daughter of William and Cloa Poggemeier in Crystal City, Missouri, in 1927. She excelled in school and graduated from Valparaiso University in 1948. She married Gerhardt A. Jabs, and they raised five children together, first in Cleveland, Ohio, then in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and finally in Corvallis. After Gary’s death in 1978, Esther worked as a representative for Book House, a job that took her to university libraries from Vancouver to El Paso. She was a lifelong Christian and an active member of Northwest Hills Community Church for 40 years. She greeted people at the church door regularly on Sunday mornings and many looked forward to their weekly smile from Esther. After her retirement, she became a volunteer staff member with a special interest in outreach to seniors and other overlooked members of the community. She often opened her home to women in need of shelter and presided over social events for widows and women in ministry. She also volunteered for Love Inc and supervised their Linen Closet for many years. Esther loved to travel and visited all but two of the 50 states. She enjoyed the natural world and went for hikes or walks whenever she could. She was a passionate gardener who often shared bouquets of her beloved roses. She loved music and was famous for her collection of cardinals. She was gifted at friendship and stewardship. She was generous in every way. Esther is survived by her sister, Mary Flo Schunks of Crystal City, Missouri; and four of her five children, Carolyn Jabs (with David Zamichow) of Santa Barbara, California, Cynthia Jabs (with Mark Bomster) of Baltimore, Maryland, Paul Jabs (with Vicki Jabs) of Aurora, Oregon, and Lorelle Jabs of Seattle, Washington. She loved and was loved by her nine grandchildren, Bert, Jessie and Zach Zamichow, Ethan, Brian and Amanda Bomster-Jabs and Nolan, Bryce and Conner Walsh. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Donna, and son-in-law, Doug. A memorial celebration of Esther’s life will take place on January 20, 2019, at Northwest Hills Community Church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in her name to Love Inc.