Jean S. Prebeck
December 14, 1928 ~ November 25, 2020
Jean Prebeck, 91, of Columbus, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend, went home to meet the Lord on Wednesday, 25 of November. She passed from this life at Columbus Regional Hospital.
She was born to Robert and Neva Shoemaker in Pontiac, Illinois. Her parents, sister Joyce, and brother Loren, preceded her in death. Her sister Gail Egle resides in Bloomington, Illinois. She is survived by her son Michael (Jeanne) Prebeck, of Columbus. He husband Phillip, and daughter Mary, preceded her in death. Jean has grandchildren, Jeff (Brianna) Prebeck, Jane (Kevin) Hurst, Jill (Paul) Weaver, and Emily (Barry) Kraker. She has 10 great grandchildren.
Per Jean’s request, her earthly remains will be cremated. A live stream memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 12, 2020. Please visit the Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home website, www.jewellrittman.com and click on Jean’s obituary to view a live stream of her memorial service.
The family wishes to invite those that want to share any thoughts or memories of Jean to submit by email to nick@jewellrittmanfamily.com. They will be read at her memorial service.
Private inurnment will be held at Flat Rock Baptist Cemetery.
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Working at Silver Oaks we had a routine where we would pass around a snack cart that had EVERYTHING on it.As I stopped at Jean’s room & went through the list of things we had available to see what she might kike, she paused & said, “I would like to have an Almond Joy candy bar.” Well of course that was the ONLY thing we did not have. I told her that I would bring her one in the next day. She told not to worry about it, it just sounded good. Well I brought her one every week after that & she would be so tickled that I brought her a candy bar that it just brightened up my day. We had lots of long conversations(she liked to talk!) & I would sing to her every time I saw her. She will be missed!
Jean was a wonderful neighbor. We always had great conversations. She was a kind lady and loved talking about her family.
Valeria Behler
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Oh my sweet Aunt Jean.
A. Jean was my mom, Susie Zavitz, nee Egle’s aunt making her my great aunt…but she was always more like a “bonus grandma” to me. When I was younger, I had the honor of taking my first domestic flight to visit her and Pete down in Foley. We had a grand time visiting Bellingrath gardens, taking the auto ferry over to an aquarium, visiting the Naval Aviation museum, drinking sweet tea, and more.
Jean, Pete, and myself started emailing each other regularly…often they were 123greeting cards or silly email forwards to make the other person chuckle. I was so glad when they moved up to Columbus, because it meant I could see them more frequently. I drove out on my own several times to visit and stay the night…tending to Jean’s raised garden in the backyard, making treats, attending church together, rummaging through her bowl of hotel soaps and shampoos to decide what I was gonna use that day…and just spending time chatting. I can hear the classic Jean quiver in her voice as I think of her.
In college, I asked U. Pete if he would be my Gramps, because I never really had a true grandpa growing up and he was the closest to one in my life. He swiftly agreed (I still have the email convo about this) and in turn, A. Jean became my “Grams” from there on out.
I learned so much about what it meant to have a Christ centered marriage from Gramps and Grams. I’m so lucky to have had them as examples. I miss both of them dearly.
4evrblest by you Grams.
-Lindsay Wilhoft, nee Zavitz
She was a godly lady who loved her family. She will be greatly missed. I am blessed to have known her!
I first met Miss Jean at Silver Oaks. My mother’s name is Marybelle and Miss Jean became my mother’s roommate. Not sure Jean liked TV sports at first but Mom is an avid Cincinnati Reds fan and a Colts fan. Another resident’s sister would print out the Reds schedule for her brother and always give one to Mom. Wasn’t too long before Jean would be asking when the Reds played next and there were then two TVs on in their room tuned to the Reds.
She was a very nice lady and a very kind roommate to Mom.
My sympathy to Mike and family,
Becky Umphrey
Lit a candle in memory of Jean S. Prebeck
Oh, Aunt Jean. My mind has been wrapping itself around all the memories of growing up with you as my aunt. You personified what I believe an aunt should be, and I feel guilty not having provided the same memories to my nieces and nephews that you did for me. I realize that you were often providing relief to my mom, your sister, of at least one of her children, while taking me in for an overnight or more. But you were also giving me my memories of ‘being with Aunt Jean and Uncle Pete’. 1) Bringing me along with your family to ‘church camp’ for several days. 2) Setting me up with couch cushions to sleep on next to yours and Uncle Pete’s bed in Lexington. 3) Occasionally, letting me pick out a homemade Barbie Doll outfit that you had sewn to, otherwise, be sold for income. 4) Giving me a bath in the basement bathroom in Lexington – was that bathtub blue? 5) Letting me sleep over at Osami (sp?) Lake home in Morton and taking me to the swimming pool (Mike, you may have been begrudgingly given that duty). You rarely missed sending a birthday card and ALWAYS signed it ‘Hugs… A. Jean’. What a lovely person you were and you will be missed. Please give ‘Hugs’ …. to all of our loved ones in heaven until I can give them myself. Love, Suz
Grandma, I can’t put into words the impact you’ve had on my life. I have so many cherished memories of us through the years, but the one I’m forever grateful of sharing was our final time together as a family.
Never did I imagine that talking with you through your bedroom window would be the last conversation we had, but God’s plan came to fruition that cold, rainy, November Tuesday morning. I never knew that holding Jase so you could press your hand to his and laughing while Brielle danced with her umbrella was so important…but God did. Too often, I try to control my life according to my plan, but this time, I trusted God and He led us to your window one last time. Those 20 minutes together, we shared words and laughter, but more importantly, you saw the Prebeck lineage and your namesake. We talked about the importance of our last name and family history…you wanted to see my children one last time before going home, a mere 24 hours before you joined your creator.
Rest assured Grandma, the lasting impact you’ve had in my life hasn’t stopped with your death. The ripple effects of your love and leadership continue to impact my marriage to Brianna and our shepherding of Brielle and Jase. Your legacy lives on in our hearts and our home.
We love you Grandma. Thank you for waiting until we could visit one last time.
-Jeff Prebeck (Grandson)
Celebrating Grandma Jean on her 90th birthday celebration
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My memories of Aunt Jean are too numerous to share. When I think of her, I remember most that she always made time to spend with me. My most vivid memory is the night Dad died. She took time to sit with a nine year old boy when he was laying bed. She explained what was going on, answered my questions, and talked with me about how things would be different in the future. To this day I can’t talk about that night without breaking down. I will miss her.
Dave Egle
Aunt Jean always made time to be there for, and help those around her. From being there when I just needed to talk, teaching me how to replace a zipper, or teaching Ken to read when he was struggling in school, she was always available.
She always acted as if she had plenty of time although I know she was extremely busy.
In the past few years, I’ve enjoyed corresponding with her. She was always upbeat and thankful for the good things in her life and never complained about anything. I will miss her letters and her love deeply.
Lin Egle
Aunt Jean was such a gracious, fun-loving aunt-in-law! She welcomed me into the family as one of her own and I knew that I was loved and valued like everyone else in the family. She was always so interested in my ministry work at Heart To Heart Support Services. I was most often shy about talking about my work thinking that most people would not be interested in counseling “stuff” but she was deeply interested and I freely opened up to and was thankful for her interest in and support of me and my life’s work.
She was always so loving to my kids, Jacob, Jennifer and Zach and that touched this momma’s heart. I loved that she loved and valued my children almost as much as I did. She was also so very important to my husband Rob. I loved the stories he shared about his Aunt Jean. We, even now, still go on short road trips and drive by different places where Aunt Jean and Uncle Pete lived and he shares fun stories of things that happened in those homes when he spent time there. Through these stories, I have grown even closer to Aunt Jean and Uncle Pete and closer to my husband as well.
I often think, when I grow up, I want to be like Aunt Jean. I want to be someone that people love to be with. Someone that people trust and value, a true, living example of being a “Woman after God’s own heart!”
I’m sorry that my memorial is late in coming but it has been really hard to find the right words to adequately express my thoughts and feelings. It wasn’t until after hearing the memorial messages during today’s service that my thoughts started to come together. I deeply love and respect Aunt Jean and I thank God for the Godly role-model she was and continues to be for me. I deeply miss her but am looking forward to seeing her in heaven one day soon.
I am praying for God’s comfort and peace to be on all of Aunt Jean’s family and friends as we learn how to live life without her bodily presence in our lives. May we hold tightly to her Godly influence in our lives always.
With much love,
Sandy Egle
I met Jean at Columbus Alliance Church where my husband, Dan Taube, was starting as pastor of the church. We had been working as missionaries in Argentina with the Christian and Missionary Alliance for 25 years and had come to Columbus to work in her church. Right away I knew she was a woman of God and one I could talk to about the difficult time I was having adjusting after leaving a ministry and people we loved. Jean was so gracious and I began to meet with her in her home every week to talk, cry and pray together. Jean was such a good listener and with her bright mind, she remembered everything I needed prayer about, plus all the names of our grandchildren! She knew how to pray and would often say, “This has already passed by the throne of God” and she knew He knew exactly what to do. We became such good friends as we talked, laughed and shared our hearts. She and the Lord Jesus got me through that difficult time, but even as I began to love living in Columbus and do ministry in the church, we continued met to pray for many of those 10 years that I knew her. Jean was an amazing woman who knew how to love people. I know others who sought her out as I did, for counsel, inspiration and her love. I miss my dear friend, but I know we will see each other again in heaven before the throne of God and worship Jesus together.
Aunt Jean, the story of a Godly, virtuous woman..
Homemaker, hostess, teacher, lover.
What a lady she was… always bigger than life… loving to tell and retell stories… about our families growing up (strange dog enjoying her spaghetti sauce and trips to the State Farm Lake in Bloomington) and her experiences with students at school… what a hoot! She was the only person that called me Steverino (not sure how I earned that name). It was a real honor and a privilege to live with Aunt Jean and Uncle Pete during my college years (quite the safe haven). I’ll always remember her joy when she received the news “that everything was all right” from Herman Neutics. They always modeled for me a loving couple (putting up with me while taking in and caring for Grandpa and Grandma Prebeck). Entertaining them and making sure they were always comfortable. She often regaled us with tunes from the organ (singing I’ll Fly Away) and accompanying Uncle Pete with his barbershop quartet practices. The last thing I’ll mention is how I will remember getting Happy Birthday greetings from Aunt Jean on the phone and admonishing Lindy and I to always “stay in love”. Angels are singing “Welcome home Jean”… “well done”.
Steve and Lindy Egle
Coming from Gail Egle (Jean’s sister)
Dear Ones – Prebecks, I wish I was more of a wordsmith.
There are so many memories of your Mom, G’ma. But there are no words adequate to say how much I loved and respected her.
She was my ‘friend’, ‘sister’, ‘sister in the Lord’, ‘encourager’, ‘counselor’, ‘confidant’…
I believe Proverbs 31 describes her best.
Mike, you can surely attest to how many times your Mom would come to Gridley and return with one, two or all the Egle kids. She seemed to know when I needed a ‘day off’. So Jean!! Loved Her!!
Proverbs 31:30-31 “…a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned and let her works bring her praise…”
Such a GRAND woman of God! What a privilege it has been to have my Aunt Jean in this life. I do not find it at all strange that my siblings and I have the same amazing and fond memories of her…a “larger-than-life, more-than-special” aunt who made each one of us feel seen, heard, well-cared for and very loved. We truly had no idea, as young children, how well she was serving our mom and giving mom (a young widow) some “space”. An unparalleled hostess…her home was a haven filled with delicious meals, laughter and much love through the years. A consummate storyteller and provider of memorable experiences…with great attention to little details making any occasion special…who could forget her big eyes, great exaggeration and warm laugh. A grace-filled and godly woman who shared her rich faith with us through the many years of her life…such a role model for me. A thoughtful listener and committed prayer warrior…I have saved a recent phone message in which she reminded me once again of her continual prayers for me and my family…that message so special to me now. An enviable teacher/student of life and the Word…she was captivating! A music maker…her joy in the Lord and life never more present than when singing and/or playing that HUGE organ. What a special privilege to sing some old hymns of our faith with her around her bed on the occasion of her 90th birthday party. And now she sings and worships with the multitudes before our Savior and Lord…what joy! Thank you, my dear Aunt Jean, for…all of it! You are so loved and will be missed!
Barb (Egle) Baker
My children were enrolled at Faith Baptist Christian School in Morton Illinois for several years and that is where I met Jean. She was the principal at the school for one of those years. What a special and godly woman she was. A wonderful role model for the children and parents alike. My parents, Jack and Betty French, developed a friendship with Jean and Pete. They are probably rejoicing in heaven at Jean’s arrival.
The school that Leslie Hopkins mentioned, Faith Baptist School, Morton, IL, is where I first taught. It was a K-8 school. I taught music and 2nd grade. My children went there as well. Jean was an awesome principal.
I know many are rejoicing that Jean has joined them in heaven. I really liked Jean and Pete Prebeck. Thanks for fond memories and being Godly role models for me and the students. Prayers for Michael & his family.