Frederick Zielke obit photo

July 31, 1925 March 23, 2013

Frederick James Zielke of Hermiston, a former Wallowa County resident, died March 23, 2013, at the age of 87.

He was born in Centralia Washington to Fredrick Charles Zielke and Alice Marie Rennie Zielke. His family immigrated from Prussia, West Germany  to Lena, Wisconsin. They left Wisconsin for Idaho and then to Washington.

When Fred was six the family moved to Ione for his father to begin work as an agent-telegrapher for the railroad. Fred attended grade school in Ione, Huntington and Elgin, where he attended high school, lettering in football and basketball.

Fred attended his junior year at Wallowa High School, meeting the love of his life, Verla Jean Scott. Fred wanted to join the navy in WWII, so he opted out of his senior year to serve his country. He graduated early from Wallowa High School with an unsigned diploma, fulfilling the graduation requirements at Eastern Oregon College before he entered signalmans school at Farragut, Idaho.

In 1945 Fred shipped out on the MS Sloterdyk for the Admiralty Islands and returned stateside March 17, 1946, to the beautiful Wallowa Mountains.

Fred and Verla Jean married June 16, 1946, at the First Christian Church in Wallowa.

Their union lasted 67 years.

Fred graduated from Oregon State University in 1952, majoring in industrial arts and minoring in math, with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Fred began his teaching career in the fall of 1952 for the Hermiston School District at Armand Larive Junior High, where he taught shop and drafting for 33 years. He earned a masters degree in education at Eastern Oregon College, while teaching full time.

He started the wrestling program at Armand Larive, coaching for several decades.

He was a Hermiston Bulldogs fan, and loved bowling, golf, fishing, hunting, skating, bike riding and aerobic exercise. For Freds 70th birthday, he requested and received a pair of in-line roller blades, which he used once, to the great relief of his family.

Fred and Verla loved to travel with their children, and continued to travel after retirement by motor home.

Fred served as an elder, deacon, trustee, board chairman and numerous other positions at First Christian Church, Hermiston.

He is survived by his loving wife Verla Jean Scott Zielke; children, Frances and husband Mike Hayden of LaGrande, Jerelyn and husband Bruce Russell of Lincoln City, Jennafred and husband Scott Kellstrom of Gresham and Scott and wife Kelly Zielke of Hermiston; 10 grandchildren; and 23 great grandchildren. Fred was preceded in death by his parents and an infant brother.

 A funeral service will be held at First Christian Church Friday, March 29, at 1 p.m., with military honors and interment to follow at the Hermiston Cemetery.  

Contributions in Freds memory may be made to Habitat for Humanity. Please sign the condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.