Jerome “Jerry” Zenk, age 97, passed away on Saturday, July 18th, 2026, at Pine Haven Oostburg, where he resided for the past 4 years. Jerry was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on May 30th, 1929, to the late Ernest and Irma (Steinhaus) Zenk. He grew up in Sheboygan and attended Central High. As a young man he worked for Schwartz Fish Co. delivering fish, did some landscaping, and also was a furniture maker at R-Way Furniture in Sheboygan. He married June Ertel on July 3rd, 1948. They made their home in Sheboygan and raised their only son, Daniel, there. Jerry pursued a career as a firefighter in Sheboygan and was most proud of the work he did there.
Jerry also served in the U.S. Navy with two tours of duty — 1946 to 1948, and 1951 to 1953. He served as a boilerman, assigned to the U.S.S. Los Angeles, and then the U.S.S. Des Moines.
He loved going up North hunting and fishing and loved the Northwoods. When he retired from the fire dept., he purchased 40 acres of land in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Over several years, he built his small cabin home with his own two hands. He developed two ponds on his property that he enjoyed. During his early years there he drove truck, hauling gravel for Edgar Delasky. He had a true pioneering spirit, and loved living in the woods, providing for himself and relying on his own skills and abilities to maintain his place and fix whatever needed fixing. He was a great storyteller, and had many stories of adventures in the woods encountering bears, deer, and other wildlife on his property and his walks with his beloved dog ‘Jake’. After suffering a serious health event in 2022, he was unable to return to his beloved home. He moved back to Sheboygan County in October of that year to be near friends and made his home at Pine Haven in Oostburg.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his ex-wife June, son Daniel, and daughter-in-law Patricia Zenk.
He is survived by his dear friends, Brad and Marsha Vollbrecht. Marsha was his legal guardian from 2022 until the time of his death. His pioneering spirit and his stories of adventures, wildlife, and surviving adversities will be missed.
Brad and Marsha wish to thank the staff at Pine Haven and the Aurora Hospice at Home care team for their loving care and assistance they provided to Jerry.
Please visit wenigfh.com for online condolences.
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