Mabel A. Traughber

Mabel was born on July 4, 1918, to Hugh and Christina Wolfe in St. Paul Nebraska. When she was 12, the family moved to Huber (now Aloha), Oregon. She attended Beaverton High School until her father passed away during her junior year. The second oldest of 10 children, Mabel left school to help raise her siblings while her mother and older sister went to work at the Birdseye cannery.

In 1936, her sister, Twila, met a young man named Tom Traughber while working at the cannery and accepted an invitation for a date. When Tom arrived at the house, Twila wasn’t ready so he took Mabel instead which became the beginning of a 75 year relationship. On April 9, 1937, Tom and Mabel were married. Eventually they welcomed a son, Jim, and a daughter, Terri into the world.

Mabel worked for Noble Craft Woodworking in Hillsboro as well as at the bowling alley where she was a cook. During the 1950s and early 1960s Mabel helped Tom build houses all over Hillsboro. She was so good with a hammer, Tom let the roofer go and put Mabel up there. In 1965 Tom and Mabel embarked on a new adventure as the owners and operators of the Driftwood Motel in Seaside. In 1981 they sold the motel and retired to Bay City.

During their retirement they bought a camper and travelled to Alaska, Nebraska, and South Dakota to visit family. Mabel was very active in the Bay City Methodist Church and was known for the Communion bread that she baked monthly. Mabel was a wonderful cook and was loved to knit and crochet.

In the spring of 2011 Mabel and Tom moved to Avamere at Hillsboro. After Tom passed away in August of 2011 Mabel moved to Missouri with her daughter, Terri, until moving to Gresham in 2013. Mabel lived at Fairlawn Village in Gresham until her passing on February 1, 2016.

Mabel is survived by her daughter, Terri Gibson of Grain Valley, Missouri; son, Jim Traughber of Redmond, Oregon; grandchildren, Karyn Jensen of Porland, Randen Traughber of Redmond, Blair Ross of Spokane, Washington, Paige Abu-Nawwas of Vancouver, and Christian Ross of Portland; great-grandchildren, Jessica Jensen, Kyle Jensen, Jaimee Baldwin, Nicholas Ross, Melanie Ross, Spencer Ross, Brooke Simrin, Kira Amend, Hayden Traughber, and Eleanor Traughber; great-great-grandchildren, Caden, Emily, Madeline, Aaliyah, and Ragan; brothers, John and Robert Wolfe; sister, Patricia Wolfe; numerous nieces and nephews; and a large extended family.

Visitation will begin at 1pm followed by a funeral service at 2:30pm on Sunday, February 7, 2016. Mabel will be privately laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Tom, at Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland, Oregon