Wilma Katherine Habhegger Ziebarth, 95, of Wrenshall, Minn., passed away Thursday, July 24, 2008, at Inter-Faith Health Center in Carlton, Minn. Wilma was born Jan. 25, 1913, to William and Christine (Petersen) Habhegger. She graduated from Carlton High School with honors. On Dec. 24, 1936, she married Merle Ziebarth. Together they worked side by side on their farm with their dairy cows, and later went on to raise beef cattle and enjoyed selling their vegetables through their business, Ziebarth Produce, for many years. They would have been married 50 years, unfortunately Merle passed away one month before their anniversary in 1986.
Wilma was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Wrenshall. She loved her church and faithfully attended for as long as she could. Wilma loved life and everything about it. She was very involved in music. She wrote music, sang all kinds of songs, and played accordion for years until she couldn't lift it any longer. She went on to play the organ, keyboard and her harmonica (mouth organ, as she called it) up until the weeks before she passed. She loved sunrises and sunsets. She loved everything about nature: birds, animals, the four seasons, her flower and vegetable gardens, and her farm. She loved her pets, her many cats: Oscar, Mikey and Nuisance, to name a few. She painted pictures, wrote poetry, wrote in her journals of her many experiences, loved to watch television, played solitaire and did her word search books. She was the Wrenshall Township Fire Warden for over 25 years. She was also the Grand Marshall of Wrenshall Brickyard Days Parade in 2005. There wasn't a thing that she couldn't do if she put her mind and heart to it. She was full of life and had many friends.
Her true joys were her children. She is survived by her loving daughter, Kathy (Gerald) Ziells of Wrenshall, Minn., and her loving son, Bill (Ernestine) Ziebarth of Duluth, Minn.; seven step-grandchildren and their families; several nieces and nephews; and her caregiver and special friend, Carrie Anderson.
Wilma was preceded in death by her husband, Merle; her parents, William and Christine Habhegger; three sisters, Evelyn LaVoie, Tina Selen and Carolyn Doddridge; brother, Bill Habhegger; and niece, Beverly LaVoie Brown.
A special thank you goes out to all the staff at Inter-Faith Health Center for all their wonderful care.
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Visitation was held Sunday, July 27, from 5-8 p.m. at Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet. Funeral services were Monday, July 28, at 11 a.m. with a one hour prior visitation at First Presbyterian Church on Broadway Street in Wrenshall. Interment services were at Hillside Cemetery in Carlton.
The family has selected Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet, 218-879-3225, to assist them with arrangements. Visit the family online guest book at nelsonfuneralcare.net.
July 31, 2008
- Cloquet, Minn.
