Lester Arnold Ziegler

He was born to Reinhold and Alma (Matz) Ziegler on August 19, 1931. He married Shirley Thompson on September 30, 1952, and the moved to Chisholm, Minnesota, where Lester drove the ore trains in the Frasier Underground Iron Mine.

The Korean War needed men and Lester was drafted into the Army in February of 1953. He soon learned he was allergic to one of the vaccinations he received as part of boot camp induction at Fort Lewis, Washington. His boot camp consisted mostly of digging dandelions and picking up cigarette butts on the parade ground. Shirley joined him at the Post when it was determined he would not leave Washington State. The Army sent him to Cook School and he, served as a cook in the Officers Mess. He claimed it was his cherry pie and “accidental” brownies that got him promoted to sergeant before he finished his term of two years.

Following his Army service, Lester and Shirley moved to Amor Township in Otter Tail County where Lester was the hired hand on the Erickson Round Barn farm. They had one daughter, Vickie, while they lived in Amor.

In 1967, Lester left the farm and took a job at Steel Sales in Minneapolis, where he and Shirley bought a house on 4th Street in Blaine. Lester changed jobs to work at Hancock-Nelson, a grocery warehouse, loading trucks, but he was soon assigned to truck spotting duty. It was often said Lester could back a 40-foot trailer into a dock where the regular drivers couldn’t drive it out forward.

When the company closed, Lester continued working in the grocery warehouse business, ending his working years at a salvage grocery store and nut business with the fun name of We Are Nuts. Lester roasted many hundred pounds of nuts each fall and took pride in getting them just right, working beside Shirley when she took a job at the store as well.

Lester and Shirley spent more than 20 winters in San Benito, Texas, where they had many friends and lots of adventures. Their last winter in the south was spent with their daughter and son-in-law in Pensacola, Florida.

Lester grew up fishing and hunting and both were lifelong passions. He loved every minute of his time outside in the woods or on the water. One of his big goals in life was to get a free fishing license from the State of Minnesota when he reached 90 years old. He achieved that goal, went fishing and caught six fish—which were cleaned and fried for him!

The “farm” north of Thief River Falls where Lester had a big garden was one of his favorite places to be, staying in what he called the Hunting Shack many weekends each year. The highlight was deer hunting when the whole family—daughter, son-in-law, grandkids and their spouses, and great-grandson-- packed into the hunting shack for the opener, filling it with laughter, stories, games, too much food, and even more family time.

Lester loved life and enjoyed his family and friends, especially his grandchildren and great-grandson.

Lester is survived by his wife of 69 years, Shirley; his daughter, Vickie (husband, Ron Wendel); three grandchildren: Lee (wife Pam), Stacy (husband Jay Overby), and Amanda; one Great-grandson, Tristan Overby; dozens of cousins, nieces, nephews, and relatives.