February 18, 1973 — February 10, 2026
Russell Allen Zabel, 52, of Omro, Wisconsin, passed away on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, in Gordon County, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his father, Virgil Zabel; brother, Lyle Zabel; stepsister, Sherry Smoody.
He is survived by his husband, Randy Ehrke; mother, JoAnn (Leonard) Smoody; step-daughters, Atlea Ehrke and Evelyn Ehrke; sisters, Penny Jo Janke, Deborah (Alan) Manteufel; sister-in-law, Lydia Zabel; step-siblings, Mike Smoody, Tom Smoody, Mary (Joe Buchko) Zabel, Peter (Tonya) Smoody; honorary children, Jessica (Brian) Durham, Marcus (Ashley Altman) Watson, Dakota (Cole VanLinn) Watson; honorary granddaughter, Vanessa; many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews also survive.
A celebration on life will be held at 11:00 AM CT on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Clintonville Community Center, 30 S. Main Street, Clintonville, WI, 54929. A light lunch will follow the celebration. A graveside service for the immediate family will be held at a later date.
The Brannon family and staff are honored to serve the family of Russell Allen Zabel.
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