Gerald Walter Zellmer

Gerald Walter Zellmer

1935 - 2023

Gerald Walter Zellmer was 88 when he went to be with the Lord on Aug. 12, 2023 in Davenport, Wash. His family extends heartfelt appreciation to the staff at TCU, Lincoln Hospital, for the wonderful care he received the past year. Gerald was born May 5, 1935 to Walter and Frances Zellmer of Davenport and graduated from Davenport High School in 1953. His first 2 years of college were completed at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, and he received his Vocational Agriculture Education degree from WSU in 1957. He joined the Army 453rd Engineer Battalion Reserves as a college junior and completed 6 years of service. His active duty included Construction Heavy Equipment School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. through March, 1958. Those skills would serve him well as a farmer and rancher south of Davenport. He finished his student teaching in Reardan that fall and taught 2 years in White Salmon, Wash, 60 miles outside of Portland, Ore. He met Virginia Horne through a friend in Portland in the fall of 1959, finally asked her out in April and they were married in Aug. 1960.

Gerald came home to farm in Davenport in 1961 and daughter Joy was born. They moved to Ephrata, Wash. in 1962 for 1 more year of teaching to help out a friend, and daughter Julie was born there. They came back home to Davenport to farm in 1963 and daughter Jana was born in 1965 in the brand new Lincoln County Hospital.

The pioneer spirit lived on in Gerald. He loved horses, raising and breaking both saddle horses and Belgian draft horses. He was often in the Davenport Pioneer Days and other area parades with his horses. He was instrumental in organizing the Pioneer Days church service in the Davenport park and led a 4 mile trail ride to the park from the ranch for many years, using the cable along Cottonwood Creek as a hitching post. In 1981 when Julie was Washington Wheat Queen, his Belgians carried her through over a dozen parades on an old fashioned grain sack wagon. He enjoyed knowing the history of horse farming and trying it himself. Gerald enjoyed meeting people and sharing local history and photos of his horses. He was proud of his heritage, his family and his community. He loved to tell how his grandfather homesteaded here from Germany and built the chimney of the Zion Methodist Church in Rocklyn. He was a lifelong member of the Harrington Nazarene Church where he enjoyed serving, teaching and singing. He put his skills to good use on several mission trips to Honduras and Papua New Guinea.

Gerald is remembered for his generous spirit and sense of humor. He and Virginia were married for 62 years before she preceded him in death in 2022. They shared a love for God, family and music. He was so proud of how she cared for all of us even after she went blind from a brain tumor in 1996. They were a great team who lived and loved by example. He was also preceded in death by his sister Elaine Cronrath and brother David Zellmer. He is survived by his brother Arthur (Linda) Zellmer, daughters Joy (Dave) Jarrell, Julie (Brent) Miller and Jana (Jeff) Shea. He will be missed by grandchildren Ben (Heidi) Miller, Janilee Miller, Paige Jarrell, Bryce (Merry) Miller, Tyler (Bethany) Shea, Tate Jarrell, Jenaya Miller and 6 great grandchildren.

A memorial service will honor Gerald's life on Saturday, October 21, 2023, 2:00 p.m. at the Harrington Church of the Nazarene. Memorial donations may be made to The Gideons International (www.gideons.org) or the Harrington Church of the Nazarene. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at http://www.strate-funeral.com for the Zellmer family STRATE FUNERAL HOME, Davenport, WA is caring for the family