A Celebration of Life to honor the life and legacy of Shirley Zellar, age 92, of Lakefield, will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Monday, January 12 at 11:00 AM, with a time of visitation and gathering for one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery.

Shirley Ann Hansen was born in Lakefield, Minnesota on August 21, 1933, to Rudolph and Bertha (Lubben) Hansen. Shirley was baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church Rost Township in September of 1933 by Pastor H. Meyer. She was confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in April of 1947 by Pastor Theodore Krenzke. She attended St. Paul (Rost) Lutheran School through eighth grade and then attended Lakefield Public High School from ninth grade through her graduation in 1951.

Shirley married John Raymond Zellar on November 8, 1953. The couple lived in El Paso, Texas from 1954-1955 while John was in the United States Army. After John's honorable discharge, the couple returned home to farm in Hunter and Rost townships in Jackson County from 1955-1987. During this time while they were farming, John also worked in road construction and at Sperry Univac in Jackson while Shirley helped a great deal on the farm and also held part-time jobs at JC Penney in Worthington and the Jackson County Extension Agency in Lakefield. John and Shirley moved into Lakefield for the final years of John's employment at Sperry Univac in Jackson, at which time they retired to their cabin in the Bemidji area in 2001.

John and Shirley were very active in Church and youth programs, serving as youth counselors for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hunter Township. Shirley also held several offices in the Ladies Aid including president, secretary, and treasurer, taught Sunday School, directed church choir, youth dramas, and Christmas caroling. John and Shirley were active in a card club for over 30 years and ran the Youth Center in Lakefield for several years in the 1960s.

Shirley loved the outdoors, snowmobiling, fishing, camping, and was a great fastpitch pitcher for the Holy Trinity softball team. She was a great cook, and her family especially enjoyed her Slovak dishes and homemade chicken noodle soup and lefse.

Shirley passed away peacefully at the age of 92 on Monday, January 5, 2026 at the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Lakefield.

Shirley was preceded in death by John, her husband of 57 years, her father and mother, Rudy and Bertha; her sisters, Colleen and Betty; son-in-law, Bradley Fitch.

She is survived by her 2 children: daughter, Barbara (Robert) Chicos of Mankato and son, Doyle (Elizabeth) Zellar of Lakefield; 4 grandchildren, Nathan (Rachna) Chicos of Chicago, Amanda Rogier of Mankato, Brian Zellar of Lakefield, Jessica (Jared) Schmit of Jackson; 5 great grandchildren, Harper Roiger, Henrik Rogier, Ava Schmit, Benjamin Schmit and McKenna Schmit.

Blessed be her memory.