Mary "Jerry" Krebs

(Mary) Jerry Krebs

Mary Estelle Geraldine McNeal Krebs, 102, of Grants Pass, passed away January 12, 2024.  She was born in Wenatchee, WA to Flora Bousquet McNeal and Harry McNeal.  She graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1940. She attended Marylhurst College in 1940-41 on scholarship.  She attended Wenatchee Business College during the summer of 1941.  From 1941 to 1944 she attended Washington State College and was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority.  She finished her last 6 hours at Southern Oregon College.  She married Dr. Walter Krebs, a veterinarian, on Aug. 23, 1944, in Wenatchee.  They were married more than 75 years.  They settled in Grants Pass, started a veterinary practice on Portola Drive in 1944, built the Redwood Veterinary Hospital and operated it from 1948 to 1989.  As Walt's bookkeeper, she managed all the practice's finances; as Walt's partner she handled all the errands and trivia of daily operations.  When Dr. Krebs was reactivated during the Korean War, they spent one year at Fort Mason in San Francisco.

She became an excellent cook specializing in fish and game meat recipes for the bounty that Walt loved to bring home.  She was a 48 year volunteer for the American Red Cross as well as donating blood for decades.  She was a Girl Scout Troop leader.  She also helped with the American Field Service, the Grants Pass Lions Club, the Barnstormers, and was a decades long member of the St. Anne Catholic Church Altar Society.  She was President of the Oregon Veterinarian Medical Association Auxiliary.   She and Walt were active members of the Grants Pass Nordic Club for years, going on many cross country skiing trips (some to Canada) and rafting trips on the John Day, Klamath, Rogue, and Minam Rivers.  She loved to travel, especially to Lake Chelan and Kauai.  They went to Norway, England, Scotland, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Russia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Panama, the Caribbean, Alaska.  They drove their GMC up to British Columbia, down to Arizona, and back to North Dakota.  She was an active member of Club NW for decades.

She was preceded in death by her husband Walt in 2020.  She is survived by children Dr. Karen Ireland (Jeff), Dr. Karl Krebs (Judy), and Kristine Gill (Dwight); 2 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren.    

A celebration of life will take place at a future date.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Rogue Valley Humane Society or Gospel Rescue Mission of Grants Pass.