Ingeborg M. Ahbel

On Tuesday, October 7th, 2025, Ingeborg (Inga) Maria Ahbel, died at the age of 101 in North Canton, Ohio. She was born in Türi, Estonia on May 10, 1924, a few minutes before her identical twin sister Karin, to parents Berta and Hans Kullerkann. In 1941 the Kullerkann family fled the Soviets to Germany, and Inga was immediately conscripted by the Germans and spent the war working as a nurse's aide. After the war Inga and Karin resumed their studies at Freiburg University, where Inga finished her Bachelors degree in pre-med. In 1952, she emigrated to the United States and while on the ship to the US, she met Andreas Ahbel, who would become her husband of 46 years. In 1955 Inga and Andreas settled in Canton, Ohio. Andreas was an old-school family doctor, who generously served the Canton community, often providing free medical care to hundreds who could not afford it.
Inga was dedicated to her family and a lover of all animals. The porch on our house on 33rd street was often turned into an aviary as she nursed abandoned baby birds to health. Dozens of times, Inga rescued dogs, no matter how sickly, nursed them back to health, and found loving homes for them. She was a champion of the underdog, no matter the species. While in Canton, she studied Spanish and French, both for four years. She was fluent in English, German and Estonian, doing the Wordle in all three languages every day. Inga was also a student of religion and philosophy, a seeker of wisdom and meaning.
Inga is survived by her children Erik (wife Jan, children Kyle and Ryan), Karin (wife Sara, child Isabel "Izzy"), and Nils (wife Lisa, children Erika and Bjorn) and nine great-grandchildren. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Stark County Humane Society. A memorial service will be held at Arnold Funeral Home for family members only.