Lela M. Zehrt Obituary (1928 - 2023)

Lela Mae Larrabee Zehrt, formerly of Menomonie, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 27th. She was under the care of St. Croix Hospice and Solon Nursing Care Center, in Solon, Iowa. She was 95 years old. Lela was born in Elk Mound, Wisconsin on August 31st, 1928, to Harold and Nettie Larrabee. She married Carlton Zehrt on July 15th, 1957 in California. He preceded her in death on June 4th, 2007. After graduating from Aggie High School in Menomonie in 1946, she was employed by Oster’s Manufacturing Co, in Racine. Reverend Carlton and (Lela) ministered for the Church of the Nazarene in multiple churches in Nebraska, Kansas, and Wisconsin between 1962-2006. Lela supported Carl and many congregations by leading Christmas programs, making music for church services, singing and playing piano, teaching Sunday school and hosting friends and family. She was a talented pianist and vocalist and an excellent cook and baker! Her interests included gardening, taking walks, growing and caring for flowers, and especially watching and feeding birds. Survivors include: a son, Bryan and daughter-in-law, Pamela, of Solon, Iowa; 2 grandchildren, Benjamin Carl of Coralville, Iowa and Leah Brianne (Wyatt) Bauman of Brooklyn, Iowa; 1 great-grandchild, Ada Mae Bauman, also of Brooklyn, Iowa; sisters, Ada Green and Eileen Schulz, brother-in-law, Milt Schulz, all of Racine and Mt Pleasant, Wisconsin; many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Vern and Raymond, two sisters, Lois and Charlotte. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 6th, 2023 at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie, WI. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at Forest Center Cemetery in the town of Spring Brook, Dunn Co, Wisconsin. Lela’s family wishes to thank St Croix Hospice and the staff at Solon Nursing and Care Center in Solon, Iowa for their compassionate and unwavering care during Lela’s residency.