Mass of Christian Burial for 89-year-old Harold Zwaschka of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning, November 18, 2016, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye. The church is located at 636 1st Avenue North.
Interment will be in the church cemetery, located at 700 St. Mary’s Street N. E.
Visitation will be on Thursday, November 17, 2016, at Sturm Funeral Home- Sleepy Eye Chapel, located at 301 3rd Avenue S. W., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
He passed away on Saturday, November 12, 2016.
Harold Edmund Zwaschka was born on the family farm in Mulligan Township in Brown County on March 6, 1927, the son of Frank and Louisa (Schroepfer) Zwaschka. He attended Brown County District 76 for the first five grades, transferred to St. Paul’s Catholic Church Boarding School in Comfrey, Minnesota, for the following two years and then returned to the rural school for eighth-grade graduation. Harold remained on the farm and helped his parents. This way they never needed a hired hand.
He was a catcher for the Leavenworth Orioles baseball team that went to state in 1949 and 1951.
On April 21, 1954, “Uncle Sam” called and he enlisted in the United States Army. After his discharge on February 17, 1956, he returned to dairy farming. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Agnes. They were married on June 4, 1958, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye.
Harold enjoyed watching local baseball games as well as the Minnesota Twins on TV. He also enjoyed a challenging game of Sheephead, old-time music and was an excellent dancer. Harold was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church of Comfrey for most of his life. He was an usher, served on several church committees, sang in the choir and the Polka Angels. Harold also served as director of the Comfrey Creamery, which later merged with Five Star in New Ulm, Minneosta. He coached the Leavenworth girls softball team while his daughters were members.
Harold and Agnes retired to Sleepy Eye in December of 2007.
Harold is survived by his wife, the former Agnes Fischer of Sleepy Eye; daughters, Lynne (Mike) Schroepfer of Comfrey, Lorilee (Grant) Milburn of Apple Valley, California and Patricia (Ray) Ahlers of Ottumwa, Iowa; grandchildren, Corey Harvey of Rochester, Minnesota, Micheal Ahlers of Ankeny, Iowa, Brent Ahlers of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Randy (Cheyanne) Ahlers and their son, Bryce, of Minot, North Dakota and Rachel (Steve) Fealy of Wildomar, California; two step-granddaughters, Jessica Schroepfer and her son, Carsyn, of Willmar, Minnesota and Alyssa (Kyle) Remus of Sleepy Eye; his brothers, Roman (Betty) Zwaschka of Comfrey and Melvin Zwaschka of Mankato, Minnesota and his sister, Lucille Hoffman, a resident of Sleepy Eye Care Center.
He was preceded in death by his parents; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Alfred (Rose) Fischer; grandson, Ryan Harvey in 2006 and brothers-in-law, Harold Fischer and Donald Fischer.