John H. Zelm, age 83, of Sheboygan, died on Monday, September 27, 2021, at St. Nicholas Hospital. He was born in Plymouth on December 20, 1937, the son of the late Harry and Irene Braatz Zelm.
He went to local schools in Plymouth and graduated from Plymouth High School. John then attended UW-Stevens Point and studied forest management. On November 23, 1957, he was united in marriage to Mary B. Barry at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church.
John was a general contractor and the owner of Zelm Construction for 30 years, retiring in 2006. In his younger years he was an Eagle Scout. John was a member of the Elks Lodge in Sheboygan and a past president of The Sheboygan County Builders Association. He was an avid outdoorsman and liked to go camping, snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing. John also participated in many snowmobile charity rides for Multiple Sclerosis. He was a Green Bay Packer and Milwaukee Brewer fan. Following his retirement John enjoyed spending time at his home in Boulder Junction, WI.
Survivors include his wife, Mary “Bonnie” Zelm, of Sheboygan; three children, Debbie (John) Beeck, of Texas, Dave (Mary) Zelm and Dan (Sandy) Zelm, both of Sheboygan; seven grandchildren, Amanda and Abbey Beeck, Kimberly (Justin) Holtsclaw, Kayla (Conner) White, Katelyn Zelm, Paula (Tom) Molosky and Jenna Zelm; two great-grandchildren, Abraham and Jude Molosky. He is further survived by other relatives and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents.
In accordance with the family’s wishes a private service will be held and a burial will take place at Sunrise Memorial Gardens in the Town of Wilson.
A heartfelt thank you is extended to the staff at the Sheboygan Senior Community for the compassion and care that was given to John. Memorials in John’s name may be directed to Campus Life of Sheboygan, 6426 S. Business Drive Sheboygan, WI 53081.
The Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.reinboldfh.com