GEORGE RICHARD "DICK" ZEMAN

Ellendale - Dick Zeman, age 75,. of rural Ellendale, died Friday, April 27, 2007, at the rural Kenyon farm of his daughter Theresa Zeman. Services were held on Monday, April 30, 2007, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Owatonna at 11:00 a.m., with Fr. Edward McGrath presiding. Interment was at St. Mary's Cemetery in Newry, Minn.

Dick was born June 22, 1931, in Pocahontas, the second child of George Henry and Lorena Bertha (Ruder) Zeman. He attended the Des Moines Township elementary country school and Rolfe High School until his family moved to Minnesota in 1947. He continued high school at Albert Lea and then Ellendale High School, where he graduated in 1949. He also attended St. Mary's College in Winona. After college, he worked three years at the Clarks Grove Lumber Yard. On June 26, 1954, Dick married Joanne Mary Walker in a double wedding with his brother, Ray, and Joanne's sister, Sue. Dick and Joanne started farming after they were married, and enjoyed 52 years of marriage together. They were still farming at the time of his death, raising beef cattle, pigs and Border Collies.

Dick and Joanne were blessed with 12 children (seven daughters and five sons) and 24 grandchildren. Children include, Theresa Zeman of Kenyon, Minn., Michele (Zeman) and Chuck Lindberg of Apple Valley, Minn., Cea (Zeman) and Buz Grass of Owatonna, Minn., Kathy Zeman of Nerstrand, Minn., Tony Zeman of Falcon, Mo.; Francis and Barbara Zeman of Owatonna, Minn., Patrick and Deb Zeman of Owatonna, Minn., Jerry and Bobbie Zeman of Owatonna, Minn., Annette Zeman and Dave Samuel of Springbrook, Wis., Elizabeth (Zeman) and Jeffrey Hilligoss of Eden Prairie, Minn., Nick Zeman of Nerstrand, Minn., and Kateri (Zeman) and Jason Ruiz of Arlington, Texas. His 24 grandchildren include: Derek, Alexandra and Chaz Lindberg; Jake (and Lindsay) Grass and Amanda Grass; Adam, Andrew, Meciah, Cainan, and Jamin Zeman; Joshua and Jenna Zeman; Ben and Gabi Zeman; Merissa Koller, Kade, Kyle and Jordan Zeman; Tyler, Hannah, Sarah, Madison and Anthony Hilligoss; and Ariel Jo Ruiz.

Dick's sisters and brothers include: Rita: (Zeman) Dickson of Omaha, Neb., Ray Zeman of Rochester, Minn., Alice (Zeman) and Herman Blankenau of Bloomfield, Neb., Leo and Bea Zeman of Bloomer, Wis., David and Barb Zeman of Plymouth, Minn., and Lorena Zeman of Rochester, Minn..

Dick was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Owatonna and the Knights of Columbus. Dick's greatest joys came from his faith, his family and farming.

He was preceded in death by his parents.