"I had hope that things would get better"
Nikki Moore describes her late husband, Jabe, as a chameleon. Jabe had several careers and pursued many hobbies. Most recently, he worked in energy management at Fort Leonard Wood, and in his free time, he played golf and pool.
Jabe was also a friendly guy who could turn an errand into a social event.
“He’d run to the store and be gone for an hour because he was talking to someone,” Nikki said. “Jabe would say, ‘God just sends me people, and they tell me things they wouldn’t normally tell someone else.’”
Jabe died in the summer of 2023 due to an enlarged heart. He was only 44. Jabe’s death left Nikki alone to parent their three daughters.
“He was my best friend,” Nikki said of her high school sweetheart. “I miss his input and having a partner to decide what is best for our girls.”
Some relatives told Nikki about Lost & Found Grief Center, and she attended the Caregivers Group while her daughters went to the Children, Middler, and Teen Groups.
“I was nervous that first night in group because I didn’t know what to expect,” Nikki said. “But seeing people who were farther along in their grief journeys gave me comfort because I had hope that things would get better.”
The Moores live in rural Webster County, and when group night rolls around twice a month for Nikki and her daughters, it would be easier for them to stay home rather than make the trek into Springfield. However, Nikki and her girls are committed to the process and regularly attend group sessions.
“I find so much strength at Lost & Found. You go to group and leave feeling lighter,” Nikki said. “Just to hear someone say they are struggling with the same things you are struggling with. Lost & Found helps keep you going.”
Nikki’s youngest daughter also found healing at Lost & Found, “You are in a safe environment and as time goes on it gets easier to talk about your person. I would tell anyone thinking about going to Lost & Found that the people at this place are super-duper nice, like, max level nice.”
Just as Jabe had a way of getting others to open up to him, Nikki and her daughters found a similar connection in their groups. Through Lost & Found, they discovered a place to share stories about their friendly husband and father. The man who could turn a simple errand into a heartfelt conversation. They keep Jabe’s memory alive through the bonds they are forming with their fellow participants.
"Lost & Found, it's like a family"
When Joe Struble died in August of 2023, he left behind his wife and two young sons. Losing a spouse after a prolonged illness is hard enough, but Joe’s wife, Orlymar, dealt with challenges most widows do not face. When Joe died, Orlymar found herself in a foreign country thousands of miles from her native Venezuela. The day after Joe died, Orlymar called Lost & Found Grief Center.
“It’s like a family,” Orlymar said. “Where I come from, we don’t have this type of help.”
Joe met Orlymar in 2008 while working at the oil refineries in Venezuela. Orlymar began dating the Billings native. They eventually married, moved to the Ozarks, and had two sons.
“Joe was a nice person. He was always willing to help people,” Orlymar said. “I loved that about him.”
An attentive father, Joe played basketball with his boys, took them four-wheeling, and loved being outside.
“We used to walk to McDonald’s with Dad and then walked to the park to play,” his older son recalled.
For a child who loses a parent, it is easy for them to feel like they are the only one without a mother or father, but through Lost & Found, they know they are not alone.
“Their classmates have dads, but my boys know that at Lost & Found, they have friends going through the same thing,” Orlymar said.
The Struble boys look forward to their group nights at Lost & Found. They made connections with other children and, through activities like mask-making, have learned to manage their emotions.
“I am really thankful for Lost & Found,” Orlymar said. “If it weren’t for Lost & Found, their daddy’s death would have been much harder on them. It has made a change in my boys.”