Evelyn W. Zabel died Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at Linden Court, in North Platte, Nebraska at the age of 82. She was born to Ernest and Fannie Prill Miller, on February 14, 1925, at the family home, in rural Johnson County, Nebraska. She was baptized in the home on April 9, 1925 and confirmed in the Immanuel Lutheran Church, in Cook, Nebraska on May 14, 1939. Her early education was in a rural school district and she graduated from Cook High School in May 1943. She attended Peru State Teachers College in Peru, Nebraska and received her certification to teach in rural and town school districts. Later, she took night and summer classes at Peru and received her Bachelors degree in Education and an endorsement in Library Science. She taught school in Johnson County for 30 years with most of her career in Cook, Nebraska. She was a member of the local, state and national Education Associations.

On June 12, 1949 she was married to Lawrence Zabel in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cook, Nebraska, They lived on a farm west of Cook until August 1950, When her husband was appointed rural mail carrier from the Cook Post Office they moved in to Cook.

Evelyn was a charter member of Grace Lutheran Church, later transferring her membership to Our Savior Lutheran Church, in Greeley, Colorado. She was a Sunday School teacher in the Immanuel Church, belonged to Grace Lutheran Women's group, taught summer Bible School and helped organize the Junior Lutheran group and helped with the program. She served on the Cook Public Libruary Board for 16 years, was a member of Cook Women's Club and was a Charter Member of the American Legion Auxiliary #360, serving on various committees. She was on the original board for planning the Cook HUD housing project and then served additional years. She served for two years as District 1 committee person for the Auxiliary of the Nebraska State Rural Letter Carrier Association.

Following her retirement from the Nemaha Valley School system in 1987, she and her husband moved to Greeley, Colorado. They lived in an apartment at the Bonell Good Samaritan Retirement Center. This relocation offered many opportunities for volunteering within the facility. Her main services were with the Bonell Library, the Bonell Auxiliary, and Bonel Chapel. She and her husband served on a committee which promoted ideas to improve the lives of the residents at the Center. A new building, the Borgman Chapel was the result of this committee's work as well as other improvements to enhance the resident's life style. She and her husband took several extended tour trips and trips to visit their children and grandchildren.

Following the death of her husband, Evelyn moved to North Platte, Nebraska, in August 1998. She transferred her church membership to First Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Platte and taught Sunday School and served on the Libruary Committee. She moved back to Greeley, CO, in September 2002 and transferred her church membership back to Grace Lutheran Church in Cook, NE. She lived in Greeley until May 2005, when she moved to North Platte, Nebraska to be near her daughter.

Evelyn is survived by a Son Steve (Laura) Zabel of Lakewood, Colorado; three daughters: Susan (Joe) Dryburgh of Gulph Mills, PA. Carolyn (Dr. Jeff) Hoffmann of Guttenber, IA, Patricia (Everett) Zabel Baltz of North Platte, NE, nine grandchildren: Amy (Jakub) Darling, Fred Zabel, Jay, John, and Lauren Dryburgh, Zachary (Monika) Hoffmann, Alex Hoffmann, Eva and Anna Baltz; four great-grandsons; one sister: Helen Miller of Greeley, Co; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; numerous, nieces, and nephews.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband Lawrence on October 20, 1997, her parents, and sister Frances Miller in April 2003.

Services will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Cook, Nebraska on Saturday, May 26, 2007, at 10:30 A.M., with interment at Grace Lutheran Cemetery, Cook, Nebraska. Officiating will be Pastors Doyle Karst and Steven Billington. Pallbearers will be Amy Darling, Jakub Darling, Fred Zabel, Jay Dryburgh, John Dryburgh, Lauren Dryburgh, Zachary Hoffmann, Monika Hoffmann, Alex Hoffman, Eva BAltz and Anna Baltz.

Memorials are suggested to Grace Lutheran Church, Cook, Nebraska. Visitation locally will be Friday May 25, at Fusselman Wymore Funeral Home, Syracuse, NE, 402-269-2441