Grace Rowena Tebbe

Grace Rowena Jamison Tebbe Lakeland - Grace Rowena Jamison Tebbe, age 95, left this world for her eternal home on June 15, 2017. Rowena was born in Logansport, Indiana, June 17, 1921 to Arthur and Jeanetta Brown Jamison. Arthur was owner of a music store but during the Depression the family moved to a farm to sustain their life. Rowena earned her RN degree from Indiana University. She met her husband, Robert F. Tebbe (Bob) in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he obtained his PhD in chemistry. They began their marriage at University of Maine but soon thereafter felt called to mission service in Pakistan and, as Presbyterian Church missionaries; they dedicated 38 years of their lives to Gordon College, Forman Christian College, and serving as missionary representatives for PCUSA. Rowena profoundly impacted the lives of those around her and is remembered by many as someone who enabled their families to obtain opportunity and a quality of life that would not have been possible without her involvement. After retirement in 1986, Rowena and Bob moved to Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland, where they built a rich life of service and friendship. Rowena’s spirit is reflected in the mission statement she and Bob lived: “How can we be of service?” to the end of her life. Few people lived life more fully than Rowena. Each day she pushed herself to make a difference in the world she so loved. Rowena is survived by her five children: Robert (Nancy) Tebbe, Lakeland; William (Mary)Tebbe, Alanson, Michigan; James (Beth)Tebbe, Wheaton,Illinois and Lahore, Pakistan ; Anne (Steven) Kidd, Colorado Springs,Colorado; and Margaret (Bruce) Spoelman, Grand Haven, Michigan. She had 16 grandchildren and was GG to 20 great grandchildren. She loved and prayed for her family daily. A celebration of her life will be held at First Presbyterian Church, on Monday, June 19 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers the family kindly requests donations be made to the Tebbe Scholarship Fund, Friends of Forman Christian College, 3434 Roswell Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30305.