Zerkel, Melvin W.

1922 - 2010  (88 years)

• Name	Zerkel, Melvin W.
  Birth	5 Jan 1922	Noble, Richland County, Illinois   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census		1940 Census, Pixley Township, Clay County, Illinois, page 02b 1940 United States Federal Census, Pixley Township, Clay County, Illinois, District 13-18, image 04, page 02b
  Reference Number	ZIRK.M001
  _FGRAVE	66028713
  Military Service	World War II, Private First Class, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th 'Thunderbird' Infantry Division, United States Army  [2]
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 01 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Flag of the United States, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a…
  		Private First Class, United States Army and United States Army Air Fores (Sep 1942-Aug 1948)
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		World War II Honoree, Zerkel, Melvin W. (1922-2010)
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 02 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 03 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 25 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  Death	3 Nov 2010	Maryville, Madison County, Illinois
  Burial	Lake View Memorial Gardens, Fairview Heights, St. Clair County, Illinois
  Person ID	I40711	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Weidner - Ziegler Johann Adam Weidner and Magdalene Ziegler Descendants
  Last Modified	19 Jul 2023

  
  

  Father	Zerkel, Clarna G.,   b. 5 Oct 1896, Clay County, Illinois d. 17 Aug 1980, Flora, Clay County, Illinois (Age 83 years)
  Mother	Gross, Agnes M.,   b. 1902, Indiana d. 1975 (Age 73 years)
  Marriage	Y  [1]
  Family ID	F15044	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Durham, Ellen Eileen,   b. 1926   d. 2012 (Age 86 years)
  Children	+ 1. Zimmerman, Clarence,   b. 1914, Illinois
  Family ID	F15585	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Oct 2026

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 5 Jan 1922 - Noble, Richland County, Illinois Death - 3 Nov 2010 - Maryville, Madison County, Illinois Burial - - Lake View Memorial Gardens, Fairview Heights, St. Clair County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Melvin W. Zerkel (1922-2010)

  
  

  Histories

  Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …

  
  

• Notes

  Melvin W. Zerkel, 88, of Maryville, died at 8:35 a.m. Wednesday, November 3, 2010, at Anderson Hospital in Maryville. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Herr Funeral Home in Collinsville. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Meadow Heights Baptist Church in Collinsville with Reverend Jim Donahue officiating. Burial will be in Lake View Cemetery in Fairview Heights. Mr. Zerkel was born January 5, 1922, in Noble, the son of Clarna and Agnes (Gross) Zerkel. He married Elen Durham on March 20, 1954. She survives. He was an Army veteran of World War II and was a POW at the end of the war. He received the Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and was awarded a Purple Heart. He was a member of Meadow Heights Baptist Church in Collinsville. Mr. Zerkel is survived by his wife, Elen Zerkel, of Maryville; son, Randal (Kalene) Zerkel, of Greenville; daughter, Elena (Dean) Pabst, of Normal; daughter, Carolyn (Greg) Sutter, of O'Fallon; son, Dennis (Leann) Zerkel, of Glen Carbon; sister, Ruth Clinton, of Olney; 10 grandchildren, Amanda and Emily Zerkel, Heather (John) Anderson, Joel (Rebecca) Pabst, Rachel (Zack) Barnett, Melanie, Jordan and Taylor Sutter, Emelia (Justin) Proctor and Michael Zerkel; and two great-grandchildren, Stella and Gabriel Pabst. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarna and Agnes Zerkel, and one brother, Herbert. Memorials may be made to Meadow Heights Baptist Church Building Fund. Condolences may be made at www.herrfuneral.com. Published in Olney Daily Mail (IL) - Nov. 4, 2010

  
  

• Sources

  [S1489] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Pixley Township, Clay County, Illinois, District 13-18, image 04, page 2b, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00441?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 2). [S14856] World War II Honoree, Melvin W. Zerkel, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1995166) (Reliability: 2).