Le Mars, Iowa – Lillian Zink, 97, of Sioux City, Iowa, formerly of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away on Friday, December 8, 2006 at Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City, Iowa. Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, December 11, 2006 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars, Iowa. Rev. Greg Gabriel will officiate. Burial will follow at Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 10 at the Mauer – Johnson Funeral Home of Le Mars. The family will be present from 6-8 p.m. with a prayer service scheduled for 7:30 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation at the church prior to the funeral.
Lillian Margaret Zink was born on November 2, 1909, in Le Mars, Iowa, the daughter of John and Margaret (Pageler) Willms. They lived on a farm north of Le Mars located in Elgin Township. She was baptized on December 12, 1909 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars. Lillian attended country school until the third grade and then in 1918 her family moved to Le Mars and she attended Le Mars Public Schools. She was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church on April 13, 1924 and was a member most of her life.
Lillian and her sister Verna operated the Needlecraft Shop in Le Mars for several years until 1930. On July 16, 1930 she married Charles H. Zink in Craig, Iowa. The couple lived in Chicago, Illinois for a short time after their marriage but, because of the depression, moved back to Le Mars and later to a farm near Le Mars. In 1940 they moved into Le Mars where she would live for many years. For the past few years she has resided with her daughter Lois in Sioux City.
Lillian will be lovingly remembered by her daughter Lois Lubben of Sioux City, IA, a daughter Janet Traufler and her husband Richard of Denison, IA, sons Charles Zink and his wife Nancy of Springfield, VA, Robert Zink and his wife Dorothy of Omaha, NE; ten grandchildren Steven J. Lubben, Mark A. Lubben, Jacqueline A. Surprenaut, David C. Traufler, Douglas J. Traufler, Kimberly L. Curtis, John K. Zink, Linda A. Whitmire, Debra S. McCaslin and Diane C. Cary; twenty-two great-grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; a brother Dick Willms and his wife Delphine; and five nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son Richard V. Zink; two sisters Verna S. (Mrs. Walt) Schilling and Edna E. (Mrs. Ray) Jones; as well as an infant brother.