Earleen Zinke
Earleen Grace Zinke, 89 a longtime Whitefish resident, passed away of natural causes on Aug. 17, 2007, at the Colonial Manor nursing home in Whitefish.
She was born April 2, 1918, in Bainesville, the daughter of J.M. and Grace Johnson. She grew up there and helped raise her brother and sister.
She met and married Ole Zinke, the love of her life, and they enjoyed 70 years of marriage working and raising their four children, Greta, Ray and Shirly in Kalispell and David, who was born in Whitefish. The family made their home on the farm south of Whitefish where life’s many milestones were celebrated.
Earleen was a proud worker and loved her jobs as a grocery clerk at Northside Grocery in Kalispell, as the bookkeeper for the family business, Ole’s Plumbing and Heating, as sales associate at JC Penny and Co. and at the Toggery in Whitefish, where she retired.
After retirement, she worked for the Big Mountain Ski Shop in the winter and the Summit House in the summer. She could be seen driving her little red Volkswagen Bug up the Big Mountain Road every weekend, usually with a couple of grandchildren in tow.
Earleen enjoyed the social side of life as well and was an avid bridge and solitaire player. She was a bowler and a dancer. She and Ole could be seen dancing the night away at the Moose Lodge, and she could throw a horse shoe right up until the last years.
She spent vacations in New York, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Glendive and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as well as many camping and fishing trips in Northwestern Montana.
She will be remembered as a great hostess at gatherings at the family cabin on Whitefish Lake. Her turkey dinners and famous sourdough pancake breakfasts with all the trimmings were the standard fare. At Christmas, she would treat with her oatmeal crispies, date-filled cookies and the best pumpkin pies and homemade rolls to be found.
Earleen was active in community service roles with the Moose Lodge, Royal Neighbors, and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. The Zinkes were active members of the church until they could no longer drive and the pastor came to them.
Earleen was especially proud of taking care of her mother. She would visit every noon hour and then curl and roll up her mother’s hair when she was a resident at North Valley extended care in Whitefish.
She loved sports, and watching her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren play was her biggest passion. She was an avid Whitefish Bulldog and UM Grizzly fan. She often played basketball with her grandchildren and gave them pointers on how to shoot the ball.
Earleen has gone home to be with her beloved husband, Ole. We will dearly miss the mother, grandma, and friend she was to all of us.
She was preceded in death by her parents, J.M. and Grace Johnson; six sisters and two brothers; great grandson Hunter Martin Hale; and son Ray Dale Zinke.
She is survived by daughters Greta Hale, Shirly Silliker and husband Jack; son David Zinke and wife Laurie; daughter-in-law Patricia Zinke; 16 grandchildren; and 24 great grandchildren.
A private graveside service will take place Friday, Aug. 31, 2007, at 11 a.m. at Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kalispell, with Rev. Martin Kaare officiating.