Raymond Zabel's Obituary
Raymond A. Zabel, 96, of Bloomington, IL, formerly of Decatur, IL, died peacefully Jan 15, 2013 at Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community, with his family by his side.
Raymond was born December 13, 1916 in Nemaha County, NE, the 5th of 11 children of Frederick and Wilhelmina Niemann Zabel. He was raised on a farm in Smith County, KS., where he attended a one room school house through 8th grade. After graduating from Athol High School, he worked on an uncle's ranch near Hayden, CO. In 1938 he was recruited to play basketball and run track for Iowa Wesleyan College, where he had an outstanding athletic career. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.
Ray proudly served his country during World War II as a Forward Observer and Officer in the 343rd Field Artillery, 90th Division in Europe. There he participated in the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and was seriously wounded in Germany in March 1945. Although he thankfully never fired his gun, he was awarded a battlefield commission, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Bronze Star. He was grateful to be chosen in 2011 for an Honor Flight to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C.
Immediately upon discharge Ray married his college sweetheart, Frances Fansher, on March 8, 1946, in Mt. Pleasant, IA. He worked for several small newspapers in Iowa before moving to Decatur in the early 1950's. He was employed by the Decatur Herald and Review, missing only 2 days of work in 28 years.
Ray especially enjoyed travelling. Annual family tent camping trips to national parks and historic sites were always meticulously planned and the trunk of the Chevy expertly packed. In later years, he and his wife enjoyed organized bus tours and escaping Midwestern winters on the Gulf Coast. Ray was a good bridge player, a skilled woodworker, and avid reader, but his particular passion was sports. He was a lifelong fan of the Saint Louis Cardinals and possessed an almost encyclopedic knowledge of their players and team history. He also closely followed the University of Illinois basketball and football teams.
Ray is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Frances, of Meadows, IL; sisters Verna Flora, Westminster, CO, Arlene Higgens, Lincoln, NE, and Leola (Dale) Janssen, Syracuse, NE; daughters Ellen (Rex) Moore of Bloomington, IL and Lori (William Schenderlein) Zabel, Fort Collins , CO; grandchildren Cameron Sweeney, Normal, IL, Devon (Jason) Flammang, Bloomington, IL and John Schenderlein, Boulder, CO; Great Grandchildren Murphy and Jameson Sweeney, Drew and Macy Rae Flammang, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, 4 brothers and 3 sisters.
The family wishes to thank the staff and residents at Luther Oaks Assisted Living, where Ray truly felt at home for the past 5 years. He was a gentle and gracious man who never took good fortune for granted and faced life's trials bravely and with dignity.
A private graveside service is planned.
In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to Luther Oaks Building Fund, 601 Lutz Rd, Bloomington, IL 61704.
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