Estelle Ramona “Mona” Waibel, 88, of Sweet Home, Oregon passed away Tuesday, April 17. She was born in Portland to James Edgar Hyer and Audrey Nadine Daugherty (Sankey). Her pioneer family migrated from Illinois to Sweet Home in 1882.

Growing up, she attended Beulah Land School in Pleasant Valley and graduated from Sweet Home High School in 1948. After graduating, she met and married Joe Stephenson. They later celebrated the birth of their daughter, Dawn.

Mona Waibel

After being widowed, Estelle married Robert Waibel from Brownsville in 1961, after meeting him at a square dance. Mona went on later in life to obtain her Associate of Science Degree from Linn Benton Community College. During her career, she was a Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce Manager and Linn Benton Community College Coordinator.

Her commitment and dedication to the community is unperilled, something she learned from her mother, Audrey. She was a member of the President’s Club, Alumni Foundation, Kiwanis, All School Reunion, Loggers Relay, City Council, 1980 First Citizen, 2002 Distinguished Service Award, Squarenaders, Oregon Jamboree, and Rock and Mineral Society. She was once called the “Queen of Sweet Home” by State Representative Sherri Sprenger.

Mona was also instrumental in raising funds for the Sweet Home Police Station and the Jim Riggs Community Center. Her love for the community never stopped, as she wrote a column called, “The Good Old Days,” in the Sweet Home New Era. She also wrote five historical books about Sweet Home and its early settlers, and donated the proceeds to the East Linn Museum.

She was preceded in death by her brothers, Jim Hyer, Karel Hyer, and Delmer Bryant. She is survived by her brother, Tom Hyer, of Sweet Home, daughter Dawn Dalton (Bob) of Sweet Home; son Rob Waibel ( Shannon) of West Linn; grandchildren Justin Dalton (Nicole) of Portland, Alecia Dalton of Sweet Home, Xander ( Melody) of Portland, and Emma Waibel of Portland; and great-grandchildren Odessa and Loretta of Portland.

A memorial service will be at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, April 29, at Sweet Home Evangelical Church, 1347 Long Street.

Contributions can be made to the Mona Waibel Scholarship Fund: Sweet Home Alumni Foundation, PO Box 83, Sweet Home, Oregon 97386.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements.