Ethel Mary Schultz Tobaben

Ethel Mary Tobaben, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on her ninety-fifth birthday on July 13 in the Baptist Hospital Palliative Care Center. Mrs. Tobaben was born on July 13, 1914, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Charles and Eva Schultz and lived most of her life in that city. As a girl, she discovered her love and talent for music and particularly for playing the piano. It was a love that she would develop and nurture throughout her lifetime. Her parents encouraged her to play, and she received excellent instruction from noted organist and choral director Newell Robinson during her teen-age years. In her early twenties, she served as organist and choir director of her home congregation of St. Simeon's in the Hunting Park section of the city. During that time she met her future husband, Herbert Tobaben, and they were married after his graduation from the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia and his ordination as minister. It was a beautiful marriage that lasted sixty-six years until his death in 2008. The young couple soon relocated to northeastern Pennsylvania, where they served in four small rural parishes. During those years they had two children: a daughter Janet, and a son Richard. They returned to Philadelphia in 1950 when he accepted a call to St. Michael's Lutheran Church in the Kensington neighborhood. Here Ethel was able to resume her career as organist and choir director while raising the children. During the next thirty years, she would have many opportunities to share her gift of music with numerous congregations, serving as either full-time or substitute organist. She also gave private piano lessons to a succession of young scholars. In 1966, she and her husband said good-bye to their church family at St. Michael's when he became pastor of Redemption Lutheran Church in the Rhawnhurst section of the city. Here the couple spent another wonderful sixteen years till his retirement in 1982. Even then, Ethel continued to serve as a substitute organist at various churches. In 1990, she and her husband decided to relocate to Winston-Salem to be near their son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters. They moved to the Brookridge Retirement Community, where they spent the next eighteen years together, making many wonderful friendships. They were now able to see their son's family regularly and enjoyed frequent visits from their daughter from Massachusetts. They also found a new church home at Augsburg Lutheran Church. Ethel was able to continue to use her musical talents, giving her granddaughter piano lessons and playing the piano at the Brookridge Sunday evening worship services. She and a friend also performed several lengthy piano concerts for appreciative Brookridge residents. Everywhere Ethel lived she was loved for her gentle disposition, her concern for others, and her sweet smile. She led a truly Christian life, keeping Christ's example always before her and maintaining faith and hope for eternal life with Him. She is survived by her children, Richard of Winston-Salem, and Janet of Framingham, Massachusetts; her daughter-in-law, Sandra; her granddaughters, Kristin Smith of Buford, Georgia, and Heidi Tobaben of Seattle, Washington; her son-in-law Jason Smith; and her great granddaughter Hannah Smith. The funeral service will be held at Augsburg Lutheran Church, 845 West 5th Street, Winston-Salem, on July 15, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.

Memorials:
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Lutheran World Relief, PO Box 17061, Baltimore MD 21298-9832.

Visitation:
11:15am - 12:15pm on July 15, 2009 at Augsburg Lutheran Church

Service:
Service at 10:30am on July 15, 2009 at Augsburg Lutheran Church