Rabe Family
The story of the Rabe-Ebers-Mallette Scholarship starts with William (Bill) and Yvonne Rabe, who instilled in their four children the intrinsic value of education. Three of their four children’s Bachelor’s degrees are from SIU (yes, SIU -SIUE is that place in Edwardsville; the one in Carbondale is SIU). Each of us also have post graduate degrees, resulting in a professor, a Principal, a minister and a lawyer. One of our spouses also graduated from SIU.
The power of education motivated the next generation as well, with three of fourteen grandchildren also graduating SIU, another acquiring a Master’s degree at SIU, with many others matriculating elsewhere or with degrees still in progress. This next generation has already produced a pediatrician, an Air Force pilot, another minister, two artists, a missionary, a Director of a Youth Camp, business managers and responsible parents.
In addition to Bill and Yvonne Rabe, two of their children contributed to this Scholarship. The oldest, Denise Ebers, taught grade school for many years in the Sparta school district, and ended her career as Principal of Evansville Attendance Center in Evansville Illinois. Her husband, Gary Ebers, also graduated from SIU. He taught Math and Physics at Sparta High School and at Southwestern Illinois College. He now serves as the hiring manager for the Grand shooting competition at the World Shooting Complex located outside of Sparta each summer.
Two of Denise and Gary’s children also contributed to this scholarship. Michael Ebers is an executive with CINTAS in St Charles, Missouri. His spouse, Brandy Ebers, also graduated from SIU. She is a banker in Waterloo Illinois. Jennifer Mallette, another of their children, is using her SIU degree as a Math teacher in Triad school district. She met her husband, Clayton Mallette, at SIU, where he graduated with a Business degree. He is a Senior Manager at Boeing.
Mark Rabe, the third of Bill and Yvonne’s children, graduated from SIU with a degree in History, which he parlayed into a law degree from Harvard Law School. He is recently retired from The Boeing Company, where he spent 21 years in the Law Department. His spouse, Cynthia Rabe, is presently teaching Preschool. She graduated from SIUE, and, yes, they give money there too. But not enough for a scholarship.
Denise, Gary, and Mark graduated from Steeleville High School, and Cindy Rabe attended there for a year.
Yvonne, Michael and Jennifer graduated from Sparta High School, and, of course, Gary and Denise taught in the Sparta School District.
Bill and Brandy graduated from Tico, Bill in the first ever graduating class in 1949.
Clayton graduated from Carmi High School.
Go Salukis!