The Dorr Township Board Thursday night accepted the resignation of Ethel Visser as secretary of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mrs. Visser served on the ZBA for 44 years, beginning in 1974.

ZBA Chairman Robert Traxler, in a letter to Supervisor Jeff Miling, explained that, “Ethel’s health is day to day, with the long-term outlook not favorable…

“Mrs. Visser has served the township for over 44 years, mostly as the recording secretary of the ZBA, and has been an untiring advocate for Dorr Township and its citizens,” Traxler added. “She will be difficult to replace and missed by all who served with her. She requested I inform all who worked with her that she was proud to serve the township and considered her membership on the ZBA an honor and a privilege.”

She will be succeeded on the ZBA by Chandler Stanton, who recently served on a special Compensation Committee for the Township Board.

Mrs. Visser was born in Fairview Park, Ohio, and moved at age 12 to Brunswick, Ohio, on a farm and graduated from Brunswick High School. She came to West Michigan to go to Calvin College for two years and met her husband.

She moved to Dorr with husband. They built their home and had two children, Mary and Bruce.

Visser has worked for the election board of Dorr for more than 50 years and Township Clerk Richard Dutkiewicz appointed her to the Dorr Zoning Board of Appeals in 1974.

She worked for an insurance agency for 20 years and then worked for Sandy Pines Resort for nine years as executive assistant.

“I like the people on the (zoning) board and as long as the Township Board kept renewing me, I was more than willing to serve,” Visser said. “Robert Wagner was chairman (of the ZBA) for a good many and we both have seen a lot of people come and go.

“When I started, Dorr was a small community and knew most of the people, which you don’t today. I am glad that Dorr is growing and new people are getting involved in the township government. It is really important that the people of Dorr know what is going on in their township.

“It has been very interesting serving Dorr Township.”

Other members of the current ZBA are Chairman Robert Traxler, Jim Schaendorf, Les Myers and Vice Chairman Jim Vote.