William Zielske

William C. “Bill” Zielske, 78, of Eldora, died at his home from natural causes on Saturday, January 03, 2009 while under the care of Iowa Hospice. Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Eldora with Pastor David Splett officiating. Burial will follow in the Eldora City Cemetery. Visitation is from 5 pm – 7 pm on Monday at Creps-Abels Funeral Home in Eldora. Memorials may be directed to Iowa Hospice or St. Paul Lutheran Church.

William Carroll Zielske was born March 26, 1930 on a farm 2 ½ miles northwest of Steamboat Rock, Iowa, the only child of Edward M. and Christine (Gaubatz) Zielske. He attended the Steamboat Rock Public School, graduating in 1947. After attending the Chicago White Sox Try-out Baseball Camp in Hot Springs, Arkansas he worked for his father until enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps on July 28, 1948. He was stationed at Barstow, California and Bremerton, Washington before being transferred to the 1 ^st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California in 1950, serving with the 1 ^st Marine Division from September 1950 to August 1951 in Korea as a machine gunner. Upon returning to the States he was assigned to Parris Island, South Carolina as a drill instructor. After being discharged in 1952, he entered into farming with his father. On August 21, 1953 he married Beulah Eckhoff of Eldora at the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. Two children were born to this union, a daughter, Carol and a son, Clark. Bill was later employed at the State Training School for Boys, where he worked for 31 years retiring in 1995.

Bill coached youth baseball for 18 years for the city of Eldora and American Legion Post 182 of Eldora. He was also a 1981 State of Iowa Skeet Shooting Champion. He belonged to various organizations: a life long member of the 1 ^st Marine Division, The Chosin Few (Veterans of the Chosin Reservoir), the VFW, Forty et Eight, and the American Legion serving as Commander of Hoover-Eiserman Post 542, Steamboat Rock, and also Walter-Sayer Post 182 of Eldora. He was also life-long member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Eldora Lion’s Club.

He is survived by his wife, Beulah; daughter, Carol Sims and her husband, Philip of Jackson, Tennessee; son, Clark of Garner; grandsons, Andrew and Aric Sims, of Jackson, Tennessee; step-granddaughters Robin Sims Cortes and her husband Jorge of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Phoelisa Sims McGuire and husband, Kevin of Johnston, Iowa; five great-grandchildren, Christian and Hannah Cortes, Kalamazzo Michigan, and Shawn, Kyle and Megan McGuire of Johnston; nieces, Sondra Emmert Rizzo and her husband Richard of Iowa Falls and Diane Emmert Mercer of Priest River, Idaho. Bill was preceded in death by his parents.