ZIRBEL, Roger M. 1945 - 2014

ZIRBEL, NARDICCHIO, LEE, MCGEE, LAGUE, PEYTON, WIEBENGA, HESTER

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 5/18/2014 at 11:31:53

ROGER ZIRBEL

Roger M. Zirbel, 68, of Raymond, Miss., formerly of Clear Lake, Iowa died Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 in Jackson, Miss.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014 at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, with Rev. Dennis Ganz officiating. Military honors will be provided by the Clear Lake V.F.W. Visitation will be one hour before the service. The burial will take place at a later time in the Clear Lake Cemetery. Those who desire may leave memorials to the family.

Roger was born Sept. 1, 1945 in Mason City, the son of Max and Lena (Nardicchio) Zirbel. He graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1963. While in high school he was a member of FFA and helped out on the family farm.

Roger worked for several body shops in Clear Lake, until he was drafted in the United States Army and served during the Vietnam War.

Roger married Gail Lee in 1967 at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., and to this union had two children.

He did some farming, sold ag related products and then worked for Burtness Plumbing, Fertile, Iowa, where they landed a job in Jackson, Miss. He took the opportunity to get out of the cold for the winter and liked it so well he decided to stay. He has been in Mississippi ever since doing plumbing, carpentry and some farming, raising sweet corn and field corn. He married Kay McGee on Feb. 21, 1988.

Roger enjoyed farming, working on old cars, deer hunting, woodworking, tinkering with his tractors, and collecting John Deere toy tractors and memorabilia. Roger also enjoyed socializing with family and his many friends.

He is survived by his wife, Kay Zirbel, Raymond; children, Domenie (Jeff) LaGue, Clear Lake, and Rich Zirbel, Estherville, Iowa; grandchildren, Tanner (fiancé, Toma Kopytina) Zirbel, Fairmont, Minn., Jenna Zirbel, Okoboji, Iowa, Tyson Zirbel, Fairmont, and Alex Zirbel, Jackson, Minn., Alyza McGee, Birmingham, Ala., and Ace McGee, Republic, Wash.; his mother, Lena Peyton, and her friend, Doug Lee, Belmond, Iowa; sister, Julie (Clancy) Wiebenga, Clear Lake; brother, Jay Zirbel, Guerneville, Calif.; step daughters, Debbie Hearst, Dallas, Texas, and Alison McGee, Republic, Wash.; nieces and nephews, Scott Zirbel, Guerneville, Calif., Cali (Spencer) KIooster, Garner, Iowa, Jesse (Sarah) Reimer, Aurora, Colo., Doug (Sara) Wiebenga, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Billy Hester, Jackson, Miss., Fran Hester, Jackson, Harry Lee Hester, Jackson, Robert Hester Jr., Jackson, and John Ryan, Jackson; brothers-in- law, Johnny Hester, Jackson, Terry (Linda) Hester, Jackson; and sister-in-law, Carol Ryan, Jackson.

He was preceded in death by his father, Max Zirbel; his brother, Michael Zirbel; step son, Melvin McGee; mother-in-law, Frances Hester; and brothers-in-law, Selby Lee Hester Jr. and Ray Hester.

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.