Victor Zobel

Victor Zobel

1927 – 2025

IDA GROVE - Victor Zobel, 97, of Ida Grove, took his Lord and Savior's hand on Jan. 9, 2025, at the Horn Memorial Hospital of Ida Grove.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church of Ida Grove. Rev. Neil Wehmas will officiate. Committal Services will follow in the Ida Grove Cemetery of Ida Grove, with Military Rites by McNamara-Moore Post No. 61 of the American Legion of Ida Grove.

Visitation will be held from 2-5 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, at the Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

Victor Elmer Harvey Zobel was born at home in Grant Township, Ida County, on Sept. 1, 1927, the son of Louis and Anna (Schwenk) Zobel. His father was a teacher at Trinity Church’s Lutheran school. He was baptized in Trinity Lutheran Church by his grandfather Pastor Henry Schwenk. Victor was named after his Godparents Victoria Schug, Elmer Abbe & Harvey Else. In 1928, the family moved to eastern Iowa where his father was a teacher at school near Newhall (19 miles NW of Cedar Rapids). In 1937, the family moved back to Ida County to the Churchill farm (one mile west of Arthur) because a teacher’s salary could not feed a family of nine children. The family farm was bought in 1944, 2.5 miles NW of Arthur.

Victor graduated with honors from Arthur High School in 1945. Victor was sports minded. He played basketball in high school and afterwards. He played fast pitch softball for different Ida Grove teams until he married. He was called “Hands Zobel” because he never used a glove. He helped his dad on the farm until drafted into the Army (March 21, 1951 to March 5, 1953). He was stationed in Alaska during the Korean War. He returned to help on the farm as his youngest brother, Vernon, was drafted to serve in Korea. 

He married Lois LaVonne Bandow on Dec. 28, 1955, at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison. He then took over the family farm. The marriage was blessed with eight children: Kim (Sheila) Zobel of Ida Grove; Kay (Larry) Brown of Columbia, Tennessee; Kendall (Margrett) Zobel of Galva; Kathi (Rusty) Ketelsen of Ida Grove; Karla (Steve) Phelps of Blythe, California; Krystal (Mohsen) Hasan of Woodside, New York; Kandace (Butch) Ehrig of Ida Grove, and Kevin Zobel of Ida Grove. 

In 1968 Victor went to work for Van Top in Holstein (now known as VT Inc.) to supplement his income and eased out of farming. In 1971-72 he and his family built a new residence themselves, 915 S. Main St. in Ida Grove. In 2003 at 75 years old, he retired after 35 years from VT Inc. 

He was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he served on the church board and missions board. He was a member of the Ida Grove McNamara-Moore Post #61 and a member of the Republican National Committee. He actively used the Ida Grove Rec Center and was known as “Iron Man” of Ida Grove because he walked to the rec center every morning in all kinds of weather and would walk eight miles a day. In 2009, Victor was awarded the ISEA Friends of Education Award for volunteering in his daughter’s classroom at the Ida Grove Elementary. This was very special to him because his grandson and great-granddaughter were both in the grade he volunteered in. He always enjoyed playing cards for fun, getting a bargain, gardening, fishing, writing poetry and cherished family events, especially Christmas.

He was blessed with 18 grandchildren: Shannon (Anne) Zobel, Tonya (Justin) Eggspuehler, Kayla (Kasey Culmback) Zobel, Joe Brown, Becky (Chad) Bulkley, Jared (Angela) Phillips Zobel, Christie (Joshua) Van Houten, Micheal Zobel, Lauren Ketelsen, Rhett (Brandi Miller) Ketelsen, Stevie (Billie Panziera) Phelps, Lindi Phelps, Adam Hasan, Sami Hasan, Ali Hasan, Nathan (Krizelle Go) Ehrig, Zach (Britney) Ehrig, and Dylan Ehrig; 11 great grandchildren: Ethan (Katlyn) Zobel, Elizabeth (Willy) Pinnow, Cyler Eggspuehler, Cole Eggspuehler, Aiden Bulkley, Connor Bulkley, Alanna Bulkley, Hunter Bulkley, Sophia Van Houten, Wyatt Van Houten, and Brooklyn Ehrig.

He was preceded in death by his spouse Lois Zobel; his daughter Kathi Ketelsen; grandchildren Brittany Zobel and Joshua Ehrig; great grandsons Aiden Bulkley and Zach Phelps; parents Louis & Anna Zobel and in-laws Henry & Esther Bandow. In addition, he was preceded in death by five brothers Edgar, Walter, Milton, Marlin and Vernon and three sisters, Lusann Werning, Lydia Schlinz and Ruth Werning.

Victor touched the lives of so many and will be missed by his family and friends.