Esther Wilmina Zielicke

Esther Zielicke , 96, of the Town of Eden went to her heavenly home on Monday, September 14th, 2026 at SSM St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac. She was born January 29, 1930, the second of seven children born to William and Hilda Larson Vorwerk at Parshall, North Dakota. At five years of age, she began her education at a one-room rural school where she remained through the eighth grade. She attended Parshall High School graduating with the class of 1947 at the age 17. She continued her education at the former State School of Science at Wahpeton, ND where she was enrolled in Secretarial training, completing the course in half the time. She found employment at the Wilkin County Courthouse in Breckenridge, MN in the county assessor’s office where she put her secretarial skills to use. Later she taught in a one-room school in rural North Dakota during a teacher shortage.

On October 24, 1953 she was united in marriage to Harold Zielicke at Parshall, ND. He was from Byron, WI and had been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army six months earlier after his service during the Korean War. Since her marriage, she has farmed alongside her husband on their dairy farm in the Town of Eden for most of their married life. She always maintained that God plucked her out of the treeless prairies of North Dakota and set her down in the beautiful Garden of Eden. She was a hard worker and a vital part of the family farm operation. She was a former Welcome 4-H project leader and a Red Cross Bloodmobile volunteer for many years.

She enjoyed gardening and sharing her surplus with others. She also enjoyed doing needlework, especially crochet and crewel, working crossword puzzles, Scrabble, Jeopardy and Lawrence Welk. She found great enjoyment playing her Kimballl organ, spending time with her family and her weekly appointments at Sharon’s Beauty Salon in Eden for over 50 years. She was a very giving person who took great pleasure in baking. Sharing her baked goods with family, friends and neighbors was always a gift from her heart. She enjoyed working outdoors on the farm, mowing the grass and keeping a neat farmstead gave her much satisfaction. At the age of 96, she was still on her John Deere rider cutting the grass and enjoying the outdoors.

As a gift to the family, she has written a book on the history of her own family and an account detailing the events of her early years growing up on a farm on the treeless prairies of North Dakota during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl Era known as the Dirty 30’s, and the devastating grasshopper infestations and her remembrance of the hardships; experiences that shaped her into a woman of great strength and courage. Having been raised on the prairies, she greatly appreciated and enjoyed Wisconsin’s landscape and especially the beautiful trees. The poem “Trees” by Alfred Joyce Killmer was always her favorite which she memorized in 7th grade and never forgot it and she requested it to be included in her obituary.

She is survived by two sons, Randy (Sharon) of Appleton, WI and James of Eden. One daughter Barbara (Phil O’Connor significant other) Hau of Glenbeulah WI. She is further survived by three grandchildren, Adam (Amanda) Zielicke, Sarah Zielicke, and Ethan Hau. Three brothers Harold Vorwerk of Eden,WI Wesley Vorwerk of West Bend,WI and James and Ilene Vorwerk of Somerset, SD. One sister, Lois Larson of Duluth MN and many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her husband Harold in June of 2010, her parents, a brother Lloyd, sister Dorothy Schroeder, sister and brother-in- law Merlin and Evelyn Zielicke, Genevieve and John Cearns and Judy Lusk, Wayne and Gen Zielicke, Robert Fellwock, Elaine Vorwerk and Eileen Vorwerk and son-in –law Allen Hau. Nieces Sharon Schussman, Julie Metoxen, Beth Zielicke and Patsy Jagdfeld and nephews David Zielicke, Jeffrey Zielicke, Joshua and Jacob Zielicke, and Donald Fellwock.

Visitation will be held Thursday, September 17th from 2:00 to 6:00 pm at Twohig Funeral Home, 109 W. Main St. Campbellsport WI. and a private family service will be held Friday, September 18th at the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum Chapel, Ledgeview Memorial Park. She will be entombed with her husband in the Memorial Gardens.

Trees by Alfred Joyce Killmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

The Twohig Funeral Home is serving the family with online guestbook and condolences at www.twohigfurnerals.com.