Christa M. Hebbeler's Obituary
Christa M. Hebbeler, age 88 ,of Ft. Myers Florida passed away peacefully on July 3, 2024 at the Shell Point Retirement Community. Christa (Chris) was born in Zeven, Germany to Maria (nee Jurgensen) and August Kruse on April 1, 1936.
After immigrating to the United States in 1939 they lived in Queens, NY. While in high school she attended Barbizon Modeling School. She graduated from Richman Hill High School at the age of 17 and immediately went to work at American Surety Insurance Company in NYC. She met the love of her life there, Herman Hebbeler and they married in 1955. They welcomed their two girls, Linda in 1958 and Doreen in 1960. Chris loved being a stay at home mom and was fastidious about her home & appearance. In 1964 they moved to Parsippany, NJ and when both girls started school she took a part time job at the Boy Scouts of America. She also volunteered as a Brownie leader and loved to bowl and do ceramics. In 1974 she took at full time job at AT&T. After retirement she volunteered at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, NJ. In 1997 Chris was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer but she was one of the very few people to survive the disease. In 2011 they moved to Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers, FL. Chris enjoyed traveling, music, watching General Hospital and Hallmark movies, entertaining, socializing, spending time with family and friends, and living the “Shell Point Life”. She was very giving, helpful to others, highly social, great sense of humor and a great friend.
Christa was preceded in death by her husband Herman, her parents, her step-father John Kruse who raised her, son-in-law Rich Gabel and best friends Lillian McKay and Marian Lewis. She is survived by her daughters Linda (Robert) Schmid of Knoxville, TN, Doreen (Dave) Moore of Austin, TX, her grandchildren Jonathan (Miranda) Gabel, Lauren (Tony) Morgan, David (Reese) Moore, Christopher Moore, her 3 great grandchildren, Paisley, Parker and Collins, her brother Ronald (Dianne) Kruse and sister Joanne Tully; as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
Burial to be held at a later date at Berry Highland West, Knoxville, TN.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Fort Myers, FL.
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