Obituary: Stella DeBel

Stella DeBel

Stella DeBel, 92, of Portland, a former Baker City resident, died Sept. 28, 2006, at Portland.

There will be no funeral. Private family interment will be scheduled later at Mount Angel Calvary Cemetery.

Stella was born on June 22, 1914, at Empire, Mich., to Adolf and Elodie VanBeveren.

She moved to Baker City in 1922 with her parents, three sisters, Mary, Jerry and Florene, and a brother, Albert. She attended schools at Baker City and graduated from St. Francis Academy. Stella met her future husband, Frank Henry DeBel, in Baker City. At the age of 22, she married him and the couple started their family.

Stella and Frank moved to Klamath Falls and bought the Twin Girls Grocery Store and worked there for 11 years. In the meantime they raised two daughters, Mary Jo and Fran.

Life took them to Lorella where they had the opportunity to own and operate the Lorella Grocery Store. They stayed for seven years before moving to Silverton to own and operate Walt's Tavern.

Stella became a veterinarian assistant and bookkeeper for the Silverton Animal Clinic where she worked for 35 years before her retirement at the age of 75. She enjoyed her flowers, gardening, needlework and family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank, who died in 1964; and her daughter, Mary Jo Zauner, who died in 2004.

Survivors include her daughter, Fran, of Portland; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.