The Rev. Robert M. Ziegler, 88 years old, longtime Pastor for Trinity
Lutheran Church, was called to his heavenly home following the early
service on Sunday, April 2, 2023.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at
the Trinity Lutheran Church, 603 N. Eighth St, Atchison, KS. Graveside
services and burial will be held at 3:30 pm Tuesday, at the Vesta
Cemetery, Vesta, NE. The family will receive friends on Monday, April
10th, 2023, starting at 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Trinity Lutheran
School Gymnasium. Pastor Ziegler will lie in state at the church one
hour prior to services on Tuesday.
Memorial contributions are suggested
to the Trinity Lutheran School Endowment Fund, the Trinity Lutheran
Church Endowment Fund, the TLC Mission Endowment Fund, or the Trinity
Lutheran School Grant Fund and may be sent in care of the
Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home who is entrusted with his services.
Condolences to the family may be left online at www.beckerdyer.com.
Robert M. Ziegler was born on April 14, 1934, in Vesta, NE the son of
Robert M. and Esther J. (Jobst) Ziegler. He went to grade school and
high school in Vesta, NE. He was called by the Lord to enter the
Ministry and attended St. John’s Lutheran Academy and College, Winfield,
KS. He then attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO. He completed
his work at the seminary and served his vicarage at Our Savior’s
Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota. He was ordained on July 19, 1959
and served at Zion Lutheran Church, Claflin, KS for ten years. He
received and accepted a call to Trinity Lutheran Church, Atchison and
was installed as Pastor on September 14, 1969. During this period of
time he had served as vacancy pastor in seven different congregations;
Russell, Ellinwood, Hoisington, Lyons, Holyrood, Nortonville, and
Wathena, KS. He had served as Circuit Counselor for the Great Bend and
Atchison Circuits and served several years as a member of the Kansas
District Board of Directors LCMS. Pastor Ziegler had also worked as a
chaplain at Valley Hope Treatment Center, Atchison KS from 1971-1988.
Pastor Ziegler enjoyed attending musical programs, a Christmas Carol,
the KC Renaissance Festival, any kind of lecture, all things Husker, and
was an avid reader and learner.
He was married to Esther Johnson on October 18, 1959, in Claflin, KS.
Esther preceded him in death on June 25th, 2000. After many years Pastor
Ziegler was married to Charlotte (Pinnt) Teuscher on April 17, 2020.
They had been college classmates at St. John’s College and found each
other at a class reunion. Charlotte survives of the home.
Additional survivors include a son Andrew Ziegler, Cleveland OH, two daughters Anne (Preston) Compton, Elgin, SC, and Allison (Ron) Arends, Melvin, IL son-in-law Rick Williams, Cleveland, OH, two sisters Nancy Nelson, Marcus, IA and Virginia Thomas, Beatrice, NE, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild, five step children, Terri McLean, Dallas, TX, Tom Teuscher, Springfield, MO, Tracy Lawson, Eldorado, KS, Tamara Morin, Leawood, KS, and Ted Teuscher, Lenexa, KS, fourteen step grandchildren, thirty three step great grandchildren and one step great great grandchild, several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
His parents, wife Esther, daughter Angela J. Williams, grandson Trent Arends, brother Richard Ziegler, and brother-in-law Roger Nelson, preceded him in death.