Mabel Webber Spokane

Fri., May 8, 1998

Mabel (Stone) Webber was born 100 years ago May 7th in Spokane.

After graduating from North Central High School, Weber studied music at Washington State College, where she obtained a degree.

WSC is also where she met her future husband, Carroll Webber. The couple lived in New York City, where she attended Julliard School of Music and later opened her home as a piano studio, teaching dozens of children.

The Webbers traveled from Alaska to Guatemala, throughout Europe, the Orient and the South Pacific.

She returned to Spokane after her husband’s death in 1977. In 1982, she moved into the Hawthorne Retirement Community, where she provided entertainment and travel programs for several years. She still works crossword puzzles, plays in weekly Scrabble and bridge games.

Webber is the mother of two children: Carroll Webber Jr., Greenville, N.C., and Phyllis McWilliams, North Miami Beach, Fla. She has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“Among many of her endearing qualities that enabled her longevity,” said her daughter, “is her good sense of humor and her positive attitude.”

When asked to divulge her secret on living to be 100 years old, Webber replied, “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.”

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.