Jena Gaston Abbott, beloved wife of Travis Abbott and mother of twins Carole and Frances Abbott, went to be with the Lord on July 10, 2021. Born September 13, 1964 to parents Gene and Carole Gaston, Jena grew up in Bluff Park, Alabama (now part of Hoover) with brothers Tom Gaston (PJ) and Ted Gaston (Sheryl). Jena was blessed to grow up in a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. Jena achieved college degrees in Art and Mass Communications at UAB, and was a missionary to Ukraine through Campus Crusades, inspired by her church friends and late godmother Charlotte Thompson. Jena worked at Samford University when she met and fell in love with Travis. Jena was a dedicated home maker who homeschooled her daughters through elementary school studies, while serving her local community and church family. She could often be found taking meals to those in need, running errands or keeping children for others. This same community around Jena poured back into her and her family as she battled Multiple System Atrophy in her last three years with perserverance, dignity and grace. To know Jena's daughters and husband is to know Jena, as they carry on her love for the Lord, her gifts and passion for creative writing, art, music, and community service. Jena dearly loved her family and is preceded by her father-in-law John Abbott, and leaves behind her parents, brothers, mother-in-law Kate Abbott, brother-in-law John Abbott (Cindy), sister-in-law Charlotte Smart (Rob), nieces and nephews Alex Gaston, Haley Gaston, Mallory Gaston, Natalie Gaston, James Gaston, Christine Hall (John), Robert Smart (Amanda), Katey Smart, and great-nieces and nephews Hazel Hall, Hudson Hall, Hank Hall, Hayden Smart and Laney Smart. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a GoFundMe for family expenses and college tuition at https://www.gofundme.com/f/join-jena039s-journey-with-multiple-system-atrophy?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR1e7uF131G4gxDLHP--QE4d2PzzAKjdz5vUXJ6nR73PYqgFWc6-97mt22k
or donations may be made to the Station Church https://thestationchurch.org/, or Multiple System Atrophy Coalition https://www.multiplesystematrophy.org/
