Kathleen M. (Collins) Zeman passed away on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, at Family Heritage Care Center in Black River Falls after an eight year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Kathleen was born June 30, 1934, in Mindoro to Shirleigh L. and Vera A. (Runge) Collins. She attended schools in Mindoro and Melrose, graduating from Melrose High School as Salutatorian in 1952. After graduation she was a bookkeeper for Gilbertson Chevrolet.
Kathleen married Winston L. Zeman on Nov. 12, 1953. They lived at Widbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, Wash., until 1955 when they returned home to the Zeman Family Farm in rural Melrose. Moving to Melrose in 1964, Kathleen and Winston operated the Rose Cafe, and she later worked for Black River Memorial Hospital and Krohn Clinic. She was clerk/treasurer for the Village of Melrose for 26 years, retiring in 1995.
Kathleen’s greatest source of pride was her family as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was always available for her grandchildren, especially when ill, nursing them back to good health with her chicken soup. Kathleen was very active in Melrose United Methodist Church, Melrose American Legion Auxiliary and a number of other community organizations. Her hobbies included cooking, ceramics and knitting afghans, which she shared with her family and friends. You were always well fed at Kathleen’s home, and her favorite words, even in her later years, were “I Love You.”
Kathleen enjoyed traveling the country with family and friends and snowmobiling in northern Wisconsin. The last vacation she and Winston took was a trip and cruise to Alaska, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
Survivors include her husband of almost 57 years and three children, Steve (Karla) of West Salem, Cheri (Jerry) Wild of Black River Falls and Randy (Pam) of Grafton, Wis.; seven grandchildren, Jenny (Greg) Stenberg of West Salem, Amy (Jeff) Schanhofer of Sparta, Megan (Bill) Eddy of Galesville, Kristin Wild and Stephani Wild of Madison and Joe Zeman and Kelsey Zeman of Grafton; and three great-grandchildren, Samuel, Thompson and Eleanor Kathleen Stenberg of West Salem. She is also survived by her brothers, Donn (Mildred) Collins of La Crosse, Jim (Joyce) Collins of Roseville, Minn., Larry (Janice) Collins of Ettrick, Ronald (Mary) Collins of La Crosse, Robert (Eileen) Collins of Mindoro, Rodney (Debbie) Collins of Holmen and Ritchie (Dee) Collins of Black River Falls; one aunt, Marion Shaw of Richland Center, Wis.; two cousins, John Shaw and Bob Shaw of Madison; two sisters-in-law, Coreen Zeman of Anoka, Minn., and Josephine Zeman of Delafield, Wis.; and many nieces, nephews and close friends.
Kathleen was preceded in death by a brother, Keith Collins, and his wife, Lorna; her parents; her mother- and father-in-law, Stephen and Vergie Zeman; and two brothers-in-law, Marvin and Ronald Zeman.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, at Melrose United Methodist Church in Melrose with burial in the Melrose Cemetery following the service. Pastor Lon Jury will officiate. There will be a visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, at Zwickey Funeral Home on East Hogg Street in Melrose and at the church on Thursday one hour before funeral services.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to local community organizations as well as Alzheimer's Research Association.