Mary Ebel Obituary

MARY JO EBEL Mary Jo Ebel passed away peacefully in her home on Sept. 23, 2005 after a one-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 68 years old. Mary Jo was born in Veblen, South Dakota on June 13, 1937. She attended and graduated from Veblen School District. Upon her graduation, she attended Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen, South Dakota. She married Curtis H. Ebel on May 16, 1959 on the campus of NSTC. She moved to Vancouver, Washington in 1962 with her husband and continued her education at the University of Portland where she earned her Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree in 1969 and seventh year in Elementary Education. She began her teaching career in Bloomington, Minnesota and also taught in Campbell, Minnesota prior to beginning teaching in the Vancouver School District for 25 years. She taught hundreds of students at the Lake Shore Elementary School and was remembered by many of her former students as a "Special Person and Teacher" in their lives. Mary Jo was honored as the Intermediate Teacher of the Year in 1990-1991. Mary Jo had an unlimited love for her family, friends, students and her church family where she was an active member of the First Congregational Church, UCC for 40 years. She enjoyed working in her flower garden and appreciating things of nature. She loved to entertain and decorate for her family and friends on the holidays and special occasions. She was an accomplished quilter and painter and also an avid reader of books on a variety of subjects. She enjoyed golfing with her family and friends but found it difficult to find time to practice because of all her other activities. She truly enjoyed going to her sons' sports activities, whether it was a baseball game, soccer game of basketball game. Her son, Kelly Charles, precedes her in death. Mary Jo is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 46 years, Curt; son, Sean P. and daughter-in-law Michelle of Vancouver; son, Charles H. and daughter-in-law Shae of Vancouver; five grandchildren, Cinnamin, Rhapsody, Cherry, Elli and Emma; her parents, Clayton and Alice Anderson of Sisseton, SD; three brothers, Aaron of Veblen, SD, James of Las Vegas, NV, Jon of Eden Prairie, MN; three sisters, Barbara Kromer of Sisseton, SD, Virginia Hilleson of Fayetteville, NC, and Carol Johnson of Vancouver, WA. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. A celebration of Mary Jo's life will be held at the First Congregational Church, 1220 NE 68th Street, Vancouver, WA, on Friday, September 30, 2005 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Kaiser's Hospice Care Program, 2701 NW Vaughn Street, Portland, OR 97210 or the Pastor's Relief Fund of the First Congregational Church, 1220 NE 68th St., Vancouver, WA 98665. Please no flowers.