Arleen L. Ziemer

Arleen L. Ziemer (nee Rusch), age 98, of Cedarburg, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2023. Her lifetime of caring for others ended as she was surrounded by family and as she was cared for by Horizon Hospice and the staff of Ellen’s Home of Germantown.

Arleen was born at home in the Town of Jackson on September 29, 1925, to Joseph and Renada (nee Gilbert) Rusch. She was baptized at David’s Star Lutheran Church, Jackson, on October 11, 1929, and confirmed her faith at David’s Star on April 2, 1939. She was united in marriage to Urben A. Ziemer on June 1, 1946, at David’s Star. She joined Urben as a member at St. John’s, Jackson, and served as an active member of the congregation in many different roles as her church became a central part of her life.

Arleen’s 98 years spanned a world of change. As a young girl, she would go out in the fields of her family farm to work up the land with the draft horses Barney and Lucy. In her 90s, she learned to use Facebook and read the newspaper online. She grew up speaking German and learned English as she began grade school. She did not have the opportunity to go to school beyond 8th grade, but she expected all of her children to go to college and beyond.

Arleen knew both hardship and joy. She lived through the depression and WWII; she and her husband Urben lived through a devastating barn fire in 1950; and her beloved husband died suddenly in 1975. Her joy was in her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She waited to transition from this world as her newest great grandchild came into this world.

Arleen’s life was rooted in dairy farming and the church. In farming, she transitioned from working with horses and milking by hand to driving tractors and milking in a milking parlor. When Urben passed, she and her son James kept the family farm going and growing. In her church life, she was active in Ladies Aid, Women’s Circle, Choir, and Altar Guild. She visited the “elderly” of the congregation well past the time when she was older than those she visited! And quilting. Always quilting! For many years and into her early 90s, she sewed 100 or more quilts per year for Lutheran World Relief. She didn’t travel far or often from her home area, but her quilts traveled the world.

Arleen was a strong, resilient woman of deep faith and sharp wit. In her teen years, she worked in a canning factory and shoe factory and regularly changed the car’s flat tire in driving to the shoe factory. She was the first woman to serve on her congregation’s Council, and grounded in her faith, she persevered through all the bumps of life. Her care and attention to people was expressed in a quick wit, humorous observations, and quips that could catch people off guard and bring a laugh.

Arleen is survived by her four children: Mary (Rolfe) Nervig of McFarland, WI; Joyce (the late Mike) Caldwell of Cedarburg; Mark (Claudia) Ziemer of Gays Mills, WI; and James “Jim” (Sharon) Ziemer of Cedarburg; 12 grandchildren: Rachel (Johnny) Craddieth, Matthew (Kari) Nervig, Sarah Nervig, Ruth (Gauvain Gamon) Nervig, Peter (Toni Alvarez) Caldwell, Aaron (Jordan Jones) Caldwell, Nate (Corrie) Ziemer, Andy (Sarah) Ziemer, Amanda (Jake) Wedeberg, Becky (Jeff Schultz) Ziemer, Paul (Katie) Ziemer, and Jenny (Niles) George; and 19 great grandchildren. Arleen is further survived by nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Arleen was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Renada; husband Urben; son-in-law Mike Caldwell; siblings and spouses Lorinda (Carl) Balsiger, Hertha (Carl) Schramm, and Verlin (Helen) Rusch; father- and mother-in-law Paul and Elsa Ziemer; brothers- and sisters-in-law Leonard (Jane) Ziemer and Jasper (Delores) Ziemer; cousins, other relatives, and friends.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, - 11:30 AM at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2881 Division Road, Jackson. Visitation will be held at the church on Tuesday from 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St John’s Lutheran Church, ELCA World Hunger, or Lutheran Disaster Relief are appreciated.