Obit: Zielke, Erwin W. (1917 - 2007)

Contact: History Buffs

Surnames: Zielke, Leuder, Rupert, Duffenbach, English, Carroll, Columb, Danielson, Hamm

----Sources: Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wis.) 07/06/2007

Zielke, Erwin W. (21 Apr. 1917 - 3 July 2007)

Erwin W. Zielke, 90, of 10161 Highway S, Chippewa Falls, town of Tilden, died Tuesday evening, July 3, 2007, at his home as a result of an accident.

He was born April 21, 1917, in Rosendale, Wis., to Ella (Leuder) and Otto Zielke. At the age of 3, he moved with his family to Granton, where his family farmed. He graduated from Granton High School in 1935, and entered the CCC Camp at Fairchild.

He attended the University of Wisconsin in River Falls, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education. He taught agriculture in Miles, Iowa.

Erwin married Betty M. Rupert on June 19, 1941, in La Crosse. They recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary.

He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942, and served during World War II in the Middle East, Sicily and Italy. He was honorably discharged in 1944. Following his discharge, they farmed in Granton and Fond du Lac. He was then a field man for the University of Wisconsin Agriculture in Mosinee from 1955 to 1961. They moved to Chippewa Falls in 1961, where he was an agriculture teacher at Chippewa Falls Senior High School from 1961 until his retirement in 1979.

Erwin enjoyed his retirement and loved working with and planting trees. He also enjoyed playing the mouth organ, accordion and violin.

He was a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls, the Retired Teachers, and the Wisconsin Woodland Association.

Survivors include his wife, Betty; his son-in-law, Jim Duffenbach, of Chippewa Falls; two grandsons, Scott and Paul Zielke, both of Naples, Fla.; two sisters, Violet English of San Diego, Calif., and Carol Carroll of Pewaukee; three brothers, Lynn (Louise) Zielke of Sun Prairie, Myron Zielke of Hatfield and Ray (Irmgard) Zielke of Fond du Lac; nieces; nephews; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his son, Donald Zielke, on July 16, 1977; his daughter, Kathleen Duffenbach, on July 30, 1996; his parents; two sisters, Ruth Columb and Fern Danielson; and two brothers, Wayne and Harvey Zielke.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 7, 2007, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church with the Rev. Alice Hamm officiating. Interment, with military honors conducted by the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council, will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery, Chippewa Falls.

Friends may call one hour before the service Saturday at the church.

Pederson-Volker Funeral Chapel in Chippewa Falls is serving the family.