Sabra Ann Carmack Greetham

Sabra Ann Carmack Greetham, age 84, died in her sleep on October 27, 2024. Mother of four children, grandmother of 13, and great-grandmother of 9, Sabra’s family is very grateful for the love, loyalty and encouragement she showed them. 

Sabra was born in Rushville, Indiana, to Paul Alfred Carmack and Florence May Berrie Carmack. At age three her family moved to Terra Haute, Indiana, and a short time later to Syracuse, NY, while her father pursued his PhD and career in education. When Sabra was about 6 years old, her family moved to Columbus, Ohio, and her father Paul was hired by The Ohio State University as a Professor of Speech, Rhetoric and Debate. Her father worked as both a professor and farmer while her mother Florence took care of the children and house; repainting, repairing, reupholstering and making by hand most of what the family needed. Sabra grew up there with her two brothers, Fred and Doug. As the oldest child, Sabra had many responsibilities on the farm, such as pulling a plow while her father planted corn and hay. She also cleaned out the chicken coop, mended fences, and worked on the garden and lawn.

She went through her schooling in Columbus, then attended DePaw University in Indiana for her first year of college. She came back to Columbus to attend Ohio State for her second year of college and studied Speech and Hearing Therapy. During that year, she went to a fraternity party with an old friend, who happened to be the roommate of Jerry Greetham. Jerry was in the kitchen doing dishes for the party but came out to be introduced to his roommate’s date (Sabra). Within a very short period, Jerry and Sabra were dating and decided to get married the next summer. Because Ohio’s legal marrying age was 21, they were married in Michigan on June 15, 1960.

They had their first daughter, Eva Lee the following year. Jerry was in the ROTC, so he wore his military uniform when he graduated with a business degree from Ohio State University, and he went straight into the Army as a commissioned officer.

Jerry and Sabra were first stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where their second daughter, Julie Ann was born.

One year later, Jerry was sent to Germany; Sabra and the children soon joined him. Jerry was gone a lot on field maneuvers so Sabra took care of the children mostly on her own through illnesses and many moves. They lived in Neunheim, (near Frankfurt), Geissen, and Wurzburg during their time in West Germany. Having learned to drive through heavy snow on the farm, she had no trouble getting around even in the worst driving conditions on German back roads. Shortly after moving to Germany, Sabra's father died. This was devastating to the family.

After almost 3 years in Germany, they were moved to Atlanta, Georgia, for a short time and then back to Columbus, Ohio. Sabra and their daughters lived in an apartment there, while Jerry went to Vietnam for one tour. He came home a Captain, honorably discharged, and they were soon able to buy a house nearby.

While living in Columbus they had their only son, Scot Carmack-Masters. Sabra and Jerry were introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They were baptized in 1969 and a couple of years later, they took their 3 children and drove to Salt Lake City (from Columbus) to be sealed as a family in the temple. In the years following, Sabra worked hard and learned a lot from the many callings and responsibilities given her in the LDS church.

A few years later, they moved to Toledo, Ohio, and then to Waterford, Michigan, where they had their third daughter and fourth child, Amy Michelle. After 5 years they moved to Clarkston, Michigan. They were very busy with 4 children, work and church assignments. And although Sabra and Jerry would rather have lived in Ohio, their time in Michigan was filled with birthdays, school and church activities, graduations, swimming, sailing, and happy times with family and friends. 

While Jerry was fulfilling his calling as Stake President, he was diagnosed with cancer, survived a year then passed away in 1988 at the age of 48. This second devastating loss made Sabra a widow for 36 years.

Four years later, Sabra felt prompted to move to Utah. She bought a cute little house in Provo, on the Y-mountain where she finished raising her children and enjoyed her 13 grandchildren. While in Provo she worked as a teacher’s assistant and landlady. Many pleasant memories were made in the Provo house of fireworks, herb-tea parties, concerts, bar-be-cues, gardening, museums, children playing in the trees and more birthdays! She also made many pleasant memories living near the BYU campus.

After living in Provo for 22 years she moved to Orem and lived there for 10 years – first in the Summerfield retirement center, then with a daughter and her family, and finally in the Orem and Orchard Park care centers. Throughout her life Sabra was an avid football fan – first and foremost for Ohio State, then for whoever played against the University of Michigan, and also for BYU.

Having lived 36 years as a widow and single parent, she learned a lot of independence. But in her later years, she had to rely more and more on caring attendants, family, neighbors, and ward members – for which service and care her family is sincerely grateful.

Sabra was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 28 years, Jerry Greetham, and many loving uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends. She is survived by her four children, 13 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren.

After private viewings at the Sundberg-Olpin funeral home in Orem, Utah, Sabra’s body will be laid to rest beside Jerry’s at the Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Hilliard, Ohio, to await their resurrection and eternal joy together with their family.

Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page.