Joseph Zehrer

Joseph A. Zehrer, age 79 of Sauk Centre, died Thursday, March 16, 2006 at the St. Cloud Hospital.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 20 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. Rev. Todd Schneider and Rev. Sylvester Kleinschmidt will concelebrate with interment following in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and 8 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre. Sauk Centre Seniors will pray at 4 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 5:15 p.m. and Knights of Columbus at 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Joe Zehrer was born June 6, 1926 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota to Leo and Johanna (Jennissen) Zehrer. On July 11, 1950 he married Beatrice Schmitz at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. He was a life long resident of the Sauk Centre area and farmed in Sauk Centre Township, Stearns County until moving to town in 1980. Joe also sold farm equipment for Starline and started the Sauk Centre Farm Store. He delivered Meals on Wheels, along with his wife, Bea. He was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church and had served as a lector, usher, money counter and Eucharistic Minister for the homebound. He was also a member of the Sauk Centre Seniors and Bishop Busch Council 4863 Knights of Columbus. Joe enjoyed playing cards at the Sauk Centre Senior Center, woodcrafting, attending auctions and buying cars.

Survivors include his wife, Beatrice "Bea" Zehrer of Sauk Centre; six children and their families, Sandy Appelt of Elk River and Christopher and Allie, Tom (Sandy) Zehrer of Sauk Centre and Jessie, Anna and Rosie, Joni (John) Brisson of Gillette, Wyoming and Jenny, Shelly and Mike and great-granddaughter, Libby, Jeanette (J.) Evans of New Richmond, Wisconsin and Tony and Maggie, Jeff (Deb) Zehrer of Sauk Centre and Zack, Janine (Rick) Kingsbury of Maple Lake and Kenyon Joe; brothers, Tony (Vi) Zehrer of Brooten and Kenneth Zehrer of Sauk Centre; and sister, Magdaline (John) Hovanec of Grand Rapids.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Joseph Zehrer, Jr.; brothers, Alphonse, Wilfred and Conrad Zehrer; and sister, Josephine Heinzel.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Sauk Centre Senior Center, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation or American Heart Association.