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Orabelle Youngs of Berkley Springs, West Virginia
Funeral services will be held at the Church of God (Seventh Day), 7th. and Ash, Fairview, Oklahoma, Sabbath, September 10, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Arrangements by Fairview Funeral Home Inc.
Orabelle Dugger Youngs, of Berkeley Springs, WV and beloved wife of the late Elder Victor A. Youngs, died on Sunday, August 28, 2016 at the age of 88 years and 27 days. Orabelle was born, the second of the four children who lived to adulthood, on August 1, 1928, in the home of the late Elder Andrew Nugent and Effie (Carpenter) Dugger in Stanberry, Missouri. She named three of the four siblings who died at or near birth - Leah, Rachel and Arminda.
She grew up in Marion and Sweet Home, Oregon where her father served as pastor and farmed. She attended a one-room school in grade school. One day her lamb followed her to school. The teacher tied the lamb to the merry-go-round. Since childhood she was pleased to share her time, talents and compassion with others. While she was going to high school, her father asked her to take a year off to take care for his grand, Virginia Belle Dugger Lippincott. Orabelle quoted from memory many Psalms and lengthy portions of Scripture, read the Bible and prayed with her grandmother. This intense immersion in the Bible gave her an extra-ordinary grasp of and love for God's Word. She graduated from Turner Union High School in Turner, Oregon in 1947.
She was introduced to Victor Addison Youngs by his sister, Ada Lois Merriam. They married on June 19, 1949 at the Church of God (Seventh Day) in Marion, Oregon where her father served as pastor. Victor was called into the ministry about ten years later. She loved being a pastor's wife, serving at his side to congregations in Ontario, California, Nampa, Idaho, Walla Walla, Washington and Portland, Oregon.
Orabelle loved teaching children about God, His word and His Son Jesus. She taught Sabbath School classes much of the time while raising her own family of ten children. Whatever memory verses her children had for Sabbath School, she already knew them. She encouraged her children and students to excel in music, Bible memorization and developing their own habit of daily Bible reading and prayer. She enjoyed inviting guests home for dinner after church on Sabbath. There were never too many in her home. Sabbaths in her home were filled with music and fellowship, oftentimes long into the evening.
She taught piano, accordion or marimba to countless people. She was a dedicated letter writer who was always careful to make sure no one was left out. Everyone was important. She corresponded with hundreds of people all over the world. Many have saved and continue to cherish her letters of encouragement, counsel and instruction to this day. She started her letters with a Scripture appropriate for the person and occasion.
She loved to teach piano, bread making, mothering skills and whatever was needed. Her thorough knowledge of scripture equipped her to help her pastor husband find verses he wanted to use in sermons. Her expertise with the Bible's contents also helped her lead Bible studies, counsel and write music and articles for church publications, especially a regular column in the WAND (our cg7 women's magazine) on marriage and parenting.
Her precious husband was taken from her by cancer on November 30, 1977, shortly after their transfer to Portland. She still had six children at home. She moved to Joplin, Missouri where she served at home and in the Joplin church.
She loved ministering to people in great need, so she went to Haiti and the Virgin Islands. Many poverty stricken people were endeared to her as she shared of her meager physical means and her abundant spiritual riches. She shared her parent's love for Israel, going there seven times, staying a full year on one of those trips. After her children were grown, she gave up her home and lived with her children, traveling by bus to their homes all over the U.S. and also Israel. One of her small grandsons thought she lived on the Greyhound bus.
Orabelle had a BIG servant heart and wanted to be where she was needed, so she was there when her grandchildren were born to help her daughter or daughter-in-law with household chores and playing with the older children. Her "home" church was the congregation where her children were attending at the time. She would write in her notebook the names of the brethren so she could remember them when she returned and also so she could send letters or postcards. She developed close friends all over the U.S. and "adopted' - no one knows how many. Soon she was known as "Gramma" to children wherever she went. Her goal was to make a special pillowcase for each of her grandchildren onto which she appliqued in exquisite detail a large figure of whatever that child liked - be it animal, semi-truck or whatever.
As her memory started to decline more, she eventually moved into the home of her ninth child, Anita Fedoriw, to help with her home schooled children. She loved to be needed. She loved helping with gardening, canning, mending, laundry, ironing and holding the baby. Nathaniel, Anita's youngest, became her constant pal. He would sit beside her and she would read for hours. Nathaniel learned to project his voice at a very young age so grandma could hear. Every one of the eight Fedoriw children helped to minister to her in different ways as she needed more and more care. The youngest girls, Faith and Grace, slept with her to help her at night. Older girls, Maria and Melody, were her faithful, loving helpers in many ways. The older boys, Stephen, Matthew and Daniel helped to entertain her and provide transportation. A year ago her grandson, Joshua Lemley, moved to the Fedoriw home. The kindred spirit and special connection they always had grew stronger as she sang old, familiar songs and prayed with him, listened to him read Scripture, held his hand and talked with him.
Her family and friends will greatly miss her loving spirit, sweet smile, willing hands, patient teaching and big heart; but most of all her love and presence. She is at rest, sleeping peacefully as she awaits the coming of her precious Savior, Jesus, and His coming kingdom.
Orabelle is survived by:three siblings : Charles Andrew Dugger of Stayton, Oregon, Naomi Ruth Fauth of Jerusalem, Israel and Mary Elizabeth (Sam) Fauth of Wapato, Washington, Her brother-in-law Ray (Ginger) Youngs of Pocahontas, Arkansas; ten children : Sheryl Krieger of Beitar, Israel, Lois (John) Lemley of Vancouver, Washington, Tim (Doris) Youngs of Jasper, Arkansas, Leah Overman of Pocahontas, Arkansas, Jenny (Terry) Stephens of Ft. Payne, Alabama, Joanna Henderson of Otis, Oregon, Peter (Kelene) Youngs of Wichita, Kansas, John Youngs of Jasper, Arkansas, Anita (Steve) Fedoriw of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and Thelesa (Ezra) Fauth of Deer Park, Washington, 54 grandchildren, 103 great-grandchildren and a multitude of nieces, nephews and friends.
She was pre-deceased by her parents, four infant siblings, two sisters-in-law, Ada Lois Merriam and Patricia Violet Oliver, her brother-in-law Gordon Fauth, her husband Elder Victor A. Youngs, three sons-in-law Yaakov Krieger, Roger Overman and Leonard Henderson, two grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
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