Lorraine Clara Zahrt, 94, of Ringle, passed away on Good
Friday, March 30, 2018, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital with her loving family at
her side. She was born on September 24, 1923 in the town of Easton to the late
Theodore (Ted) Hoppe and Olga Lambrecht Hoppe. Lorraine attended Farewell
School (grades 1-6) and Zion Lutheran School (grades 7-8), both in the Town of
Easton. She was confirmed in her Christian faith at Zion on June 6, 1937. Going
to high school was not an option as her continued help was needed on her
parent’s farm which included the hard work of weeding ginseng. This was the
beginning of a lifelong passion for hard work for which she was well known. Later
as a young woman of 20 she worked as a maid at the H.J. Hagge residence in
Wausau who, at the time, was the president of Employers Mutual Insurance
Company (later Wausau Insurance). During World War II, she supported the war
effort through her work at Marathon Battery and Marathon Electric.
In March of 1946 she met Wilbert Zahrt while he was sawing
lumber at the home of her sister and brother-in-law, Viola and Elmer Barthels. They
soon realized their shared interest in music and started playing accordion
together. Six months later they married on September 14, 1946 at Zion Lutheran
Church in the town of Easton and were together for over 54 years until his
passing on April 17, 2001. Lorraine and Wilbert initially lived with Lorraine’s
parents until purchasing their own dairy farm on the Eau Claire River Road in
1952. In 1959, they expanded their farming operation by buying the Zahrt family
farm on Chestnut Lane. They continued farming at that location until 1997 when
the barn was destroyed by a powerful windstorm. In 1972, she began driving a
school bus for Jelco/Laidlaw Transit bussing companies, retiring in 1997. She
picked up her last job of delivering newspapers for the Wausau Daily Herald at
the age of 80 during 2003 and 2004.
In March of 1972, God was gracious in helping Lorraine
survive a pulmonary embolism that she developed after falling in the barn and
breaking her knee cap. We were lucky to have her for another 46 years after
that incident.
Lorraine loved music and was a self-taught musician, having
learned to play the accordion, piano, and guitar. She often accompanied
Wilbert’s band (Zahrt’s Gay Time Orchestra) all over central Wisconsin, playing
polkas and waltzes for occasions of all kinds.
Lorraine also loved to travel. She experienced her very
first plane flight at age 76 when she traveled to Washington D.C. and Camp
David to visit her grandson Derrick who was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. She
and Wilbert enjoyed visits to Trinity Bible College (North Dakota) where their
daughter Marlene was a student. They also visited Marlene and her husband Joe
at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Upper
Michigan. Other destinations visited include Jekyll and St. Simons Islands in
Georgia, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota, Buffalo Bill
Museum in Wyoming, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Detroit, Andersonville
Civil War Prison and Roosevelt’s Little White House in Georgia, Niagara Falls, Lawrence
Welk’s childhood home in Strasburg (North Dakota), and Lincoln’s tomb and
historic sites in Springfield, Illinois. Several additional trips were taken to
visit family in Indiana and Tennessee.
Lorraine was never one to stay home for very long. She
loved to dine out and fellowship with family. She was always up for a road trip
regardless of the destination. Whether it was a big city, small town, or no
town at all, she looked forward to the journey, and she could find her way
around any area in Wisconsin with her keen knowledge of the geography. Some of
her favorite events were the Warren’s Cranberry Fest, the Edgar Steam Engine
Show, and cherry picking in Door County. Locally, she liked to go to the Grand
Theatre, the Wisconsin Valley Fair, Chalkfest, Ginseng Fest, Historical Society
presentations, and various church functions. She was a long time member of St.
John’s Lutheran Church (Town of Easton) and also belonged to their Ladies Aid
and Senior Club.
She was a wonderful cook and hosted many holiday parties
and birthday celebrations. She was a very selfless person, always putting
others first. Her greatest happiness was making others happy and knowing that
her family was happy. She willingly and lovingly helped care for her children
and grandchildren in any way she could. Her son Daniel affectionately recalls
the time that she took care of him when he had a badly broken leg. Her faith
motivated everything that she did in life. She had a close relationship with
the Lord and prayed often for her family. Even after losing her eyesight she
would say, “Even though I can’t see, I can still pray.”
Above all she dearly loved her family and enjoyed their
many talents and abilities. From sporting competitions to musical talents to
artistic abilities to success in the workplace, Mom was proud of each and every
one of us.
She is survived by her four children: Linda Jehn Otalora,
Daniel (Diane) Zahrt, Michael (Debra) Zahrt, and Marlene (Rev. Joe) Shelton.
Linda’s sons: Derrick (Sarah) Jehn and their children:
Colton and Aubrie; Sarah’s daughter: Mikayla Bullman; Lance (Christina Raber)
Jehn and their children: Taylor, Carson, and Easton; Mario (Shelby) Otalora and
their children: Zayden and Lincoln; Dan and Diane’s son: Matthew; Diane’s
children: Nicole (Jesse) Hoffman and their children: Calvin Callahan, Cedar and
Harman Hoffman; Jackie (Nick) Hanke and their daughter: Lorelai; Jon Shanak; Mike
and Debra’s children: Jason (Nicole Aukamp) and Jason’s sons: Jacob and Lucas; Kristin
(Noah) Phillips and their children: Jack and Josslyn; Marlene and Joe’s
children: Joseph and Adrianna.
She is further survived by brother-in-law Merlin (Joan)
Zahrt. Former sons-in-law Larry Jehn and Leo Otalora, cousins, and many nieces
and nephews. Preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister Viola (Elmer)
Barthels, brothers-in-law: Lawrence Zahrt, Milton (Audrey) Zahrt; sisters-in-law:
Hertha (Karl) Peters, Velma (Ervin) Runzheimer, Zelta (Henry) Schlund, Verna
(Walter) Schlund, Marjorie Zahrt, Ardelle Zahrt, and niece Lois Runzheimer.
Also predeceased by her lifelong best friend Verna
(Kluender) Borman.
A funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 6,
2018, at St. John Lutheran Church, town of Easton, with Rev. John Stransky
officiating.Family and friends may call
on Thursday, April 5, beginning at 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the church and
again on Friday beginning at 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.Burial will be in St. John Lutheran Cemetery,
town of Easton.
You may sign the family guestbook at
www.helke.com
.
Memorials are preferred to St. John Lutheran Church, town
of Easton.
