Walter J. Zabel
April 7, 1891-Nov. 18, 1975
Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, November 18, 1975, page 1, col. 1-3, microfilm Niles District Library
Zabel, former Niles principal, dies at 84
NILES – Walter J. Zabel, 84, who served the Niles School District for 38 years before his retirement in 1957, died at 8:05 a.m. Today in Kansas City, Mo. He had lived in Kansas City since 1969.
Mr. Zabel was born April 7, 1891, at Sturgis, where he taught for two years before entering the Army. He was a second lieutenant in the artillery in World War I and came to Niles in 1919 to begin 50 years of residence here. His first Niles High School post was a mathematics teacher, and he also had charge of the Tattler yearbook, athletics and financial supervision of all extracurricular activities.
In 1922, he was named junior high school principal, a post he held for two years before he became senior high school principal and athletic director. Eight years later, he was named principal of both junior and senior high schools and continued in that capacity for 24 years. After construction of the new high school made it necessary to separate the two positions, he again became high school principal in 1956, where he served the year for which his retirement had been extended.
During the time he was principal, Mr. Zabel saw the graduation of 5,444 students, a major portion of the total of 6,591 students graduated from the time the high school was opened until his retirement.
Mr. Zabel also serviced as basketball tournament manager at Niles for 33 years, the longest continuous service of any tournament manager in the state at that time. He won praise many times from the director of the Michigan High School Athletic Assn. For the excellence of Niles tournaments.
Mr. Zabel held both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan. He was a director and member of the appraisal committee of First Federal Servings and loan Assn. For 35 years and became a director emeritus upon leaving Niles. He was a past president of the Niles Lions Club and as an honorary member continued to support scholarship and sight conservation projects of the club.
He was ordained an elder in the First United Presbyterian Church in 1931, served five terms on the church Session and was an usher for 25 years. Mr. Zabel was a member of LaRue Messenger Post of the American Legion, the Michigan Education Assn., the Michigan Retired Teachers Assn., National Retired Teachers Assn. And a life member of the University of Michigan Union.
On Aug. 14, 1922, he married the former Adah Milligan at Monmouth, Ill. She died Aug. 26, 1963.
Mr. Zabel is survived by a son, Robert, of Edina, Minn.; a daughter, Dr. Jane Z Waxman of Kansas City; a sister, Mrs. Frances Ginther of Sturgis, and nine grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. John R. Wyngarden will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call after noon Thursday at the Halbritter Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the Niles Community Schools scholarship fund or the First Presbyterian Church memorial fund.