Lambert (Larry) Zenner, 92, St. Cloud

April 6, 1928 - November 21, 2020

Larry Zenner was born on April 6, 1928 to Regina and Alois Zenner in Buckman, Minnesota where he and his older brother, Wilfred Zenner, and two younger sisters, Doreen (Zenner) Jacobson and Laverne (Zenner) Justin were raised on a farm. He attended grade school in Buckman and junior high school in Pierz. Later the family moved to St. Cloud and Larry attended Technical High School.

During his senior year, he enlisted in the Navy, because he wanted to fight for his country in World War II. He was trained for the mission that was to be the invasion of Japan. Prior to his ship, the USS Pennsylvania, arriving in Japan, the bombs were dropped saving his life and countless American lives. After Larry arrived in Japan, he was later injured and spent several months in a hospital in Seattle. He remained in the reserves and returned for active duty in the Korean War where he served on the USS Hector.

Larry returned home from the war, obtained his GED, and began college at St. Cloud State University. He completed his degree at St. John’s University with a B.S. in social studies. He began teaching English at Rockford High School.

Larry met the “love of his life”, Virginia (Virgie) Popp at The Bucket, a bar and dance hall in St. Cloud. After 6 months of dating they were engaged and married on December 29, 1956. Larry taught math and social studies at Prior Lake High School for one year and then was hired to teach math at Monticello High School where he remained for 32 years. During these years, Larry also worked weekends at Gamble Robinson where he unloaded freight cars and delivered groceries to local grocery stores.

Larry and Virgie have five children, two girls, a boy and two girls, he referred to them as “bookends”.

Larry retired from teaching in 1989, but he was not prepared to stop working. He worked at the St. Cloud Hospital until his 80th birthday. He was also a member of the St. Cloud Civil Air Patrol for 20 years and enjoyed flying on air search and rescue missions.

Larry was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Always the teacher, he especially enjoyed taking his family on “long” road trips to see national parks, museums, and historical sites. He loved Dairy Queen dilly bars and would frequently disappear from home only to return with a dozen assorted flavors.

Larry is survived by Virgie, his wife of sixty-four years, his children, Kathie (Mike) Wendel, Pat (Wally) Burchill, Robert Zenner, Mary (Tom) Niehoff, and Karen (Richard) Mienhardt. Larry has eight grandchildren, Kari Rohling, Michelle Wendel, Allyson Lee, Joseph Niehoff, Robert Niehoff, Nathan Wendel, Mary Burchill, and Clare Burchill. He also has eleven great-grandchildren Brooke, Cash, and Bella Behrens, Locke Lee, Connor, Ashton, and Theodore Rohling, Chloë and Charliegh Niehoff, and Henry and Gordon Niehoff.

Visitation is Sunday, November 29 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church from 4PM till 7PM.

Funeral Mass will be Monday, November 30 at 11:00 AM at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, St. Cloud.

Mass will be live-streamed via www.holyspiritstcloud.net by going to the Church of the Holy Spirit webpage and linking into the Click HERE to view the livestreamed Mass or by going to facebook link and clicking on Video on the left side.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests Memorials be sent to St. Cloud VA HCS-B50 in honor of the loving care given by all who work and volunteer for our Vets in Building 50. To ensure VA Memorials are appropriately provided in Larry’s honor, please send to St. Cloud VA HCS – Attn: CLC B-50, 4801 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303. On the memo line indicate - Lambert Zenner

Or you can send a donation to “Elevate” Prolife in St Cloud, MN.