Fredrick H. Zenk

1920 - 2017

Zenk, Fredrick H.

Fredrick (Fritz) Herman Zenk was taken to his eternal home on Thursday November 2, 2017. He was residing and being cared for at Majestic Heights Assisted Living, Hartford, WI. God brought Fredrick into this world through his parents Otto Friedrich August Zenk and Anna Mae (Miller) Zenk on July 3rd, 1920 at Sheboygan, WI. He was the oldest of four children, two brothers (Artie and George) and one sister (Virginia).

He grew up in Sheboygan, working as a paperboy, attending school and getting into good fun with friends. He played semi-pro baseball in Kansas with his brother Artie in 1939, made a solo trip to Hollywood to follow a dream. That dream wasn't realized, but it didn't stop him from having others. He traveled again to California and back and finished two years of college in 1940. He met the love of his life Veronica (Ronnie) Miller in 1941. Their romance was interrupted by World War II when he enlisted in the "All American 82nd Airborne Division" in 1942. He shipped off to Casablanca in 1943, did combat jumps into Sicily, fought in Italy, jumped behind enemy lines in the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, jumped into Holland, participated in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and was honorably discharged in 1945 to return to civilian life. He reunited with the love of his life, Ronnie, and they were married on June 14, 1947. They were blessed with three children, Vikki Ellen, Terry Allan and Jodi Lynn.

He worked for H.C. Prange Company for a time and then worked at and retired from the Sheboygan Press advertising department after 35 years of employment. During that time he also had his own record company, Radiant Records, his own film company, Radiant Pictures, and he managed to write, produce and film a feature length documentary "Mark Twain on the Mississippi". He made sure family vacations were taken out west to the South Dakota Black Hills and his beloved Arizona desert. He made numerous advertising films for commercial packaging companies, performing the filming and editing himself. He went back to college, commuter style after work hours, at MATC (Milwaukee) to study film production while employed at the Press. After retirement, he worked for the local TV station in Sheboygan, running a camera, editing film, building sets or anything he could do to be of service, until he was 90, when they took away his key! He was a lifelong member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Sheboygan, serving wherever he could as Sunday School Superintendent, serving on boards and running the sound system in church for many years.

He is survived by his daughter Vikki Meyer (Harold) of Hartford, WI, son Terry (Phyllis) of Riverton, WY and daughter Jodi Maslanka (Kevin) of Sheboygan, WI, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife Ronnie, both of his brothers and his sister.

Funeral Services for Frederick will be held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, (917 Mead Ave., Sheboygan, WI 53081) on Monday, November 6 at 11:00 a.m. A time of visitation for family and friends will be held from 9:00 a.m. on Monday until the time of service.

Interment in Lutheran Cemetery Sheboygan, WI

In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America are appreciated

Shimon Funeral Home is assisting the family www.shimonfuneralhome.com