Anton Abele, 76, died May 18, 2026 at Dewangen, Germany.
Funeral services were held June 8 in Dewangen.
Anton “Donner” (Thunder) Abele was born April 4, 1950. He brought laughter, warmth and a great sense of humor into many lives. He and his wife Lilli shared 52 years of marriage and built a family with two children and six grandchildren. His family meant everything to him and for as long as his health allowed, he loved visiting his children and grandchildren abroad. In his professional life, Abele served for many years as a financial administrator in Hüttlingen, Germany.
He was deeply involved in his community of Dewangen and was a member of nearly every local club. One of Abele’s greatest passions was wrestling and as a team leader, he helped bring the Dewangen wrestling team into Germany’s top league. Through this sport, a special friendship was formed with Webster, South Dakota, starting in 1986 when Abele visited Webster for the first time as a part of a wrestling delegation. That friendship became official in 2003 when the communities of Webster and Dewangen signed a friendship agreement. The Webster City Council recognized Abele on his 75th birthday, April 4, 2025 for his role in uniting the communities of Aalen and Dewangen, Germany and Webster by declaring it Tony Abele Day. That friendship exchange program continues today with a youth exchange program and the group’s slogan, “Freunde für immer – Friends forever.”
Abele believed life continues beyond death. In the words of the Apostle Paul, he trusted he would one day receive “a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.” Though his death was a release of many years of illness, his family was able to say, “saddened to lose you, relieved to know you are at peace, grateful to have shared life with you.