Glenn F. Zobel, 81

Former Norfolk resident, Glenn F. Zobel, 81, of Blair died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Home.

Funeral services were Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Norfolk. Interment was in the Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Norfolk with military honors provided by the U.S. Army of fort Riley, Kan., American Legion Post No. 16 and VFW Winter-Munson Post No. 1644 of Norfolk.

Glenn F. Zobel was born April 29, 1922, near Creighton to Fred and Ella (Kuhl) Zobel. He was baptized Oct. 15, 1922, at the Lutheran Church in Bazille Mills, and was confirmed April 5, 1936, at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Osmond.

He attended school in Knox County and graduated from Osmond High School in 1938. After graduating at the age of 16, he was accepted into the Civilian Conservation Corps at Winside.

He later enlisted in the U.S. Army, and was appointed to the officers’ training program. He served 3 ½ years as an engineer in Germany during World War II.

On Feb. 14, 1944, he married Bernice Nissen in Colorado Springs, Colo. They lived in Plainview and Albion prior to moving to Norfolk in 1948.

Mr. Zobel was the district agent for Prudential Insurance Company from 1953 until 1983. He was in the Active Reserves for 26 years, retiring at the rank of Major. He was a lifetime member of the Reserve Officers Association and the VFW Winter-Munson Post No. 1644. He served as commanding officer of Company B of the 31th Combat Engineers Battalion in Norfolk, as well as Battalion Executive Officer of the 809th Quartermasters Battalion of Fremont. He assisted Gov. Norbert Tiemann in the development of the State Guard and served on the committee that commissioned the USS Nebraska nuclear submarine.

He was elected to the Norfolk City Council from 1962 until 1983, serving as its president three times. He served on the board of the United Way, Norfolk Senior Center, Norfolk Art Center, N.E. Association of Life Underwriters, and N.E. Economic Development District. He was one of three civic leaders instrumental in the research and development of the Meadows, Norfolk’s first private retirement community. He served as its secretary/treasurer until stepping down for health reasons. He was an active Republican, and worked on various state and local campaigns.

He is survived by his wife, Bernice; daughters and sons-in-law, Beth and Gerald Timperley of Blair, Julie and Miles Jenkinson of Plainview; sons and daughters-in-law, Terry and Melanie Zobel of Kearney, and Mike and Sandy Zobel of Blair; 13 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Wayne Zobel of So. Sioux City.

He was preceded in death by one sister and one brother.

Howser-Fillmer Mortuary in Norfolk was in charge of arrangements.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #8072454