James Zietlow
October 24, 1937 - March 25, 2026
Smart, strong, stubborn. These words well describe our father. Also known as Jim, Jimmy, and dad, he applied these characteristics to the principle of equality of ALL humans' worth. He gave a lot, and expected a lot from the individuals he encountered. Accountability meant a great deal to him and he was no one's fool.
Born into a Wisconsin dairy farming family, he knew hard physical work well. He also worked hard to hone his intellect and his spirituality. Raised as an Evangelical, he took to heart the example of Jesus but he often questioned the way biblical teachings were used to manipulate others. His God lived inside him, and wanted to connect with God in others.
He worked his way through the University of Wisconsin and then married and taught agriculture. He and my mother (also a dairy farm kid) returned to farming and had four daughters, with whom he had dual roles: dad, and “brother because we didn’t have one,” granting him license to wipe out Barbie villages that had taken all day to build. While farming, he also started working at JobsCorp, helping underserved youth enter the workforce. This experience sparked his interest in improving life for others on a larger scale. While mom worked as a nurse at the local VA hospital in Tomah, Wisconsin, he built his first house in that town while commuting to the University of Minnesota to complete a master's degree in public administration. For fun, he became a small plane pilot.
Jim then moved the family to Lincoln, NE, and became the first director of that county's Agency on Aging. He believed in aging with dignity and developed one of the first Meals on Wheels programs, which gained national attention. After retiring, he and mom returned to their beloved Wisconsin and they built another house. He served on the Vilas County Board of Supervisors. He loved flying, and was proud to have visited the 48 contiguous states. For several years he and mom hosted a two week Camp Grandma for their nine grandkids every August.
Per his wish, Jim died at home surrounded with love and the beauty of the north woods. And still planning a flight to Alaska. To his fellow pilots: "he flew west."
In loving memory
