Zenk, William "Bill" H. 1917-2016

ZENK, BUETHENER, DICKMANN

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting (email)
Date: 7/19/2016 at 16:51:51

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
WILLIAM H. ZENK

BORN
June 12, 1917
Regent, North Dakota

PASSED AWAY
July 10, 2016
Sioux Center, Iowa

MEMORIAL SERVICE
2:00 P.M. Wednesday, July 13, 2016
United Presbyterian Church; Boyden, Iowa
Pastor Daniel R. Hart ~ Officiating

Visitation with the family present will be
Tuesday, July 12, 2016 from 5:00 to 7:00pm
at the Vander Ploeg Funeral Home in Boyden, Iowa.

MUSIC
“No More Night”
Sung by: Mary Jo Huls
CONGREGATIONAL HYMNS
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
“In the Garden”
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
Pianist: Mary Jo Huls

CASKET BEARERS
Bill Zenk Brandon Marcotte
Duane Zenk Rob Zenk
Darryl Huls Laryl DeWild
Jay Marcotte

FINAL RESTING PLACE
1:00 P.M. Graveside Service; Wednesday, July 13, 2016
at St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery ~ Hull, Iowa

Military Graveside Services by the
William Monster Post 272 American Legion of Boyden, Iowa.

In Lieu of flowers Memorial’s may be directed to the
Sioux Center Health or to Sioux Center Health Hospice

After today’s service, relatives and friends are invited
to join the family at the Demco Community Building in Boyden
for Caribou Coffee and Cookies.

Arrangements are under the care of the
Vander Ploeg Funeral Home; Boyden, Iowa.

WILLIAM H.ZENK

William “Bill” Herman Zenk was born on June 12, 1917 in Regent, North Dakota, the second of seven children born to his mother, Anna Elisa (Buethener) and his father, Pastor Arnold F. Zenk. Growing up in a pastor’s family Bill lived in many different towns in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. Even as a child and then as a young man, he always found work to do to earn some money; working many different jobs from sweeping floors in the grocery store, to help buy is sister, Elma her 1st piano, to later driving truck and farming. Bill made the hard decision of ending his formal education years, just a few months short of earning his senior diploma in order to work to help support his parents and siblings. Never-the-less those that knew him knew that he was very intelligent and well-read on almost everything and that he could figure the price of a load of fresh feeder calves at the cattle sales out west faster in his head than those around him could with a calculator. In May of 1941, Bill entered the United States Army and served in World War II for most of his four years of duty, 40 months of that time being in the Southwest Pacific Islands, operating large construction equipment. On September 6, 1945, he married Mildred J. Dickmann at St. Paul Lutheran Church near Hull, Iowa. Bill and Millie farmed a quarter section of land northwest of Hull for 37 years, providing their two children, Leslie and Gayle with a rich and happy farm life. On Thanksgiving Day 1981 they retired and moved to their current home for the past 34+ years in Boyden. In August of 2010, he was happy to be part of one of the WWII Veteran’s Honor Flight to Washington D.C... He often talked of that trip and also his 90th birthday party as just two highlights of the many happy times in his later years. Bill passed away on Sunday, July 10, 2016 in the loving Christ like care of the Sioux Center Health and Hospice Staff reaching the age 99 years and 29 days.

Bill was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith as a youth; he was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church near Boyden and recently had been attending the Boyden United Presbyterian Church. Beside his passion for farming, Bill also had a love for fishing, hunting, gardening and going to the Spencer Fair and most recently his Caribou Coffee Time at the mall in Sioux Falls, SD every week. His favorite pastime was sitting on a saw horse in the back yard watching the crops grow.

He loved his family and his family loved him and he was always looking for ways to give to them. He leaves behind his wife of nearly 71 years, Mildred; a son Leslie and his wife, Connie Zenk of Vinton, IA and his daughter, Gayle Ten Haken of Boyden, IA; 4 grandchildren, Betsey (Ramzi) Nuseibeh; Bill (Melissa) Zenk; Anna (Brandon) Marcotte; Jane Ten Haken; along with 5 great grandchildren with one more to be born in August. He is also survived by his brother, Gene (Shirley) Zenk of Denison, IA; a sister, Dorothy (Bernie) De Boer of LeMars, IA; a sister-in-law, Lenyce Zenk of Idaho Falls, ID and many other relatives and friends.

Besides his parents he was preceded in death by his sister and brother-in-law, Elma and Frank Jewett and 3 brothers, Arnold, Robert and Francis Zenk.

Source: Vander Ploeg Funeral Home online obituary.