Eileen Zabel

Eileen Louise Zabel (Steinberg) passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on April 12, 2020 after a long battle with heart and kidney disease. Eileen was born on February 11, 1944 to Herman and Malinda Steinberg in Owatonna, MN.  She was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Owatonna and confirmed in her faith at First Lutheran Church in Waldorf.  Eileen graduated from Waldorf High School in 1962.  Eileen met the love of her life at the Mankato Ball Room and she was joined in marriage to Glen Lyle Zabel on September 17, 1963 in Waldorf at First Lutheran Church, and they enjoyed 56 years of companionship and love.   Their marriage was blessed with three children:  Lori, Linda, and Lisa. Eileen and Glen raised their family in Cleveland, MN from 1970 to 2001 where Glen owned and operated the local barber shop and where they enjoyed hosting the annual family reunion on the 4th of July.  Eileen began working outside the house in 1977 at Le Center Abstract Company and later became an abstractor for Blue Earth County.  Eileen and Glen then moved to Mankato and later Alexandria in retirement. Along with caring for her family, Eileen enjoyed sewing, gardening, and traveling.  When her girls were young, Eileen would sew matching dresses for herself and her daughters as well as many Barbie clothes; in her later years she made several quilts for her loved ones.  She and Glen had a large garden and numerous hours were spent canning vegetables.  Many happy memories were created at the Kamaole Beach Club in Maui, Hawaii and more recently in Gilbert, Arizona.

Eileen is survived by her husband Glen; daughter Lori (Daron) VanderHeiden of Hutchinson, MN; daughter Linda (Scott) Zuhlsdorf of St. Peter, MN; daughter Lisa Obert of Edina, MN; grandchildren Taylor VanderHeiden of St. Louis Park, MN; Jacob VanderHeiden of Vermillion, SD; Jeremy Zuhlsdorf of St. Peter, MN, and Molly Obert of Edina, MN; siblings Larry (Cindy) Fennert of Waldorf, MN; Carol (Rick) McColley of New Richland, MN; Janice (Joe) Hosch of Elysian, MN; Gerald “Augie” (Kristi) Fennert of Waseca, MN; and many nieces and nephews.

Eileen is preceded in death by her father, Herman Steinberg and her mother, Melinda Fennert.   Blessed be her memory.

The family would like to thank the caring staff at CentraCare Kidney Program who took such good care of her over the past year

Services will take place at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Cleveland, MN at a future date.