Elsie C. Zihlman

Elsie C. Zihlman, age 104 of Fairfield, passed away Friday, June 19, 2020, at Parkview Care Center.

Open visitation will be 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 23, 2020, at Behner Funeral Home.  Family will not be present during this time.

Graveside service will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at Hope Lutheran Cemetery with Pastor Ryan Dexter officiating.

Memorials may be made to Hope Lutheran Church or VFW Auxiliary and mailed to Ron Baldosier, 1718 Tamarack Ave., Fairfield, Iowa 52556.

Elsie was born June 5, 1916, in Germanville, IA to Will and Lena (Pohren) Bekel.  She married Leonard Smith November 6, 1937, and he passed away February 9, 1969.  On August 4, 1973, she married Rollie L. Zihlman at Hope Lutheran Church and he passed away March 22, 2017.

Elsie went to school at the Ridgewood Country School through 9th grade and lived in the Fairfield area all her life.  Elsie was a great cook and shared her cooking with others by working in the kitchen at Parsons College, Fairfield Sale Barn and 16 years at Parkview Care Center.  She was a member of Hope Lutheran Church, Church Circle, VFW Auxiliary and the Eagle Lodge.   Elsie enjoyed life and was known as the “life of the party”.  She volunteered many years at the Bargin Box, loved to play pitch and go to the casinos.

Elsie is survived by many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Will and Lena; her husbands, Leonard Smith and Rollie Zihlman; two brothers, Lloyd Bekel and Harry Bekel; and one sister, Edith Baldosier.

The family would like to Thank Parkview Care Center for their care they gave Elsie.