James L. ‘Jim’ Gabel, 58, of Grand Island died Tuesday, October 2, 2012, at the Fillmore County Hospital in Geneva following a farming accident.

Service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Peace Lutheran Church Life Center. The Rev. Michael Reiners will officiate. Burial will be at Grand Island City Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the church. All Faiths Funeral Home is serving the family.

Mr. Gabel was born November 24, 1953, at Scottsbluff, Nebraska, the son of Raymond and Martha (Schoeneman) Gabel.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Sandra ‘Sandy’; children, Melanie Gabel of Grand Island and Britton and his wife, Erin, of Lincoln; brothers and sisters-in-law, Stan and Kay Gabel of Gering, NE and Frank and Alyce Gabel of Alamogordo, NM; and sister and brother-in-law, Ann and Dennis Zitterkopf of Houston, TX and sister-in-law, Kay Gabel of Scottsbluff.

He is also survived by a granddaughter, Alexandria ‘Lexie’ Coakley.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Larry.

Jim grew up at Scottsbluff, receiving his education at Victory Hill School and Scottsbluff High School, graduating with the class of 1972.

He was united in marriage to Sandra Strauch on February 15, 1975. Following their marriage, the couple lived and farmed north of Scottsbluff. In 1985, they moved to central Iowa. In 1987, they made Grand Island their home. Jim worked in the seed corn industry. He was with NC+ and Fontanelle, then Northrup King and Garst. In 2011 he began working for Allied Seed Genetics.

Jim was a member of Peace Lutheran Church. He enjoyed teaching young people about 4-H and was very involved in 4-H as a leader and later, swine judge. He enjoyed Husker football, fishing, hunting and gardening. He had a passion for smoking and cooking meat and loved walking his dog, Ike.

Memorials are suggested to Peace Lutheran Building Fund, Trinity Lutheran School or Heartland High School.