Jane (Geringer) Abbs

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Jane Abbs, age 93, died Monday, August 28, 2017 at Parkview-Noble Hospital in Kendallville.  Mrs. Abbs was born January 1, 1924 in Wauseon, Ohio to Lawrence Lowell Geringer and Laura Edna (Segrist) Geringer.  She was raised on a farm near Wauseon and attended a one room school house until the 8th grade.  She was the youngest of five children who preceded her in death.  She graduated from Wauseon High School in 1941.  While in high school, she met Bill Abbs and they were married March 24, 1944 in Aberdeen, Maryland.  The couple moved to Kendallville in 1958 from Etna Green, Indiana.  Together they raised three children Scott B. Abbs, Jan Patrice Abbs and James Abbs.  

Bill was a longtime Kendallville educator and he died December 5, 2004.  In 1971, Jane was asked to head the newly created Kendallville Day Care Center. The day care would become her life’s ambition for the next 41 years.  During this time she would lead the growth of the day care from a church to the newly constructed facilities in Kendallville.  She also was instrumental in the development of an infant care facility at the Kendallville Day Care Center.  It was through her leadership, guidance, and vision that the day care center has become the outstanding facility it is today.  

For those of you who didn’t know her, she was a very special lady dedicated to the children she served. She knew what was best for children and implemented that knowledge with staff and children before other Early Childhood professionals. She continued to be a mentor to staff after her retirement, visiting the centers, and attending Board meetings until this past year. Everywhere Mrs. Abbs went she supported the day care with her Kendallville Day Care baseball cap.  Mrs. Abbs had a true heart of gold that touched the lives of multiple generations of children and families. Her legacy lives on in the creativity, curiosity, and imagination of the children whose lives she influenced. 

Survivors include:
Daughter, Jan Abbs (John Knox) of Yorktown, Indiana.
Son, James Abbs (Jan Harkner-Abbs) of Wawaka.
Daughter-in-law, Sue (Reiske) Abbs of Kendallville and her companion, Harry A. Hamlin.
Five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren: Troy and Julie Abbs of Fort Wayne and their children, Caiden, Lillian, and Claire Abbs; Trevor Abbs and Melissa Machaj-Abbs of Orange Park, Florida and their children, Josephina, Chloe, and Cohen Abbs; Bryce and Golda Abbs of Wawaka; Jordan and Jenn Knox of Yorktown and their daughter, Leia Marie; and Jessica Knox of Indianapolis.
Sister-in-law, Virginia Geringer of Wauseon, Ohio.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bill in 2004; son, Scott on February 2, 2004; sisters, Clarice George and Kathryn Byers; brothers, Lloyd Geringer and Lowell Geringer.

A celebration of life service will be held Friday, September 1, 2017 at 2:30 PM at Hite Funeral Home in Kendallville.
Visitation will also be held Friday prior to the service from 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM at Hite Funeral home.
Burial will follow at Orange Cemetery near Rome City.
Memorial donations may be made to the Kendallville Day Care Center.
Share a memory or send a condolence online at www.hitefuneralhome.com

Read the Life Story of Jane Abbs at http://www.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/jane-abbs.118346

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