Obituary: Verona Zelle

Verona Zelle, 95, of Waverly, Iowa died on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Bartels Lutheran  Retirement Community in Waverly. 

Verona Ruth Zelle was born on January 21, 1931, and raised in rural Jesup in Black Hawk  County, Iowa, the fifth daughter of six children born to Louis A. and Olinda M. (Riensche) Orth.  She was baptized on February 1, 1931, and confirmed on March 5, 1944, at Zion Evangelical  Lutheran Church, Jubilee, Iowa. Verona attended Jubilee Consolidated Schools through the 8th  grade and graduated in 1948 from Jesup High School. She attended Wartburg College in Waverly  for one year and then attended Allen Lutheran School of Nursing, graduating in 1952 at the top  of her class. She worked at Allen Memorial Hospital until her marriage. 

On June 5, 1953, she was united in marriage to Rev. Edgar Zelle at Zion Evangelical Lutheran  Church in Jubilee, Iowa. The couple made their home in Castalia, Iowa, where they ministered to  Zion Lutheran Church. In 1958, Verona and Ed moved to Waterloo to lead a young congregation  at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Verona resumed her nursing career in 1966 at Allen  Memorial Hospital, where she worked for 22 years, retiring in 1988, having served as the head of  Post-Anesthesiology and Recovery. The couple moved to Waverly in 1988 for their retirement  years. Verona was a faithful member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in Waverly. 

Verona’s love of community and investment in the world led her to involvement in a number of  volunteer positions including, but not limited to the PTA, The Allen Alumni Board, The  Wartburg Alumni Board, Caring Community, and the Wartburg Community Symphony Board.  Verona was a gifted musician who enjoyed travel, the arts, sewing, gardening, and camping.  Above all, Verona found joy in spending time with her family. She will always be remembered  for her generous and caring heart, her love of life, her adventurous spirit, her razor-sharp wit and  endearing sense of humor. She had the uncanny ability to see the positive in whatever life  brought her way. 

She is survived by her children, Jennifer Wipperman of Waverly, Nathan (Mae Jean) Zelle of Mt.  Horeb, Wisconsin, daughter-in-law Cynthia Zelle of Hudson, Iowa, and Nadine Zelle (Jon  Schmidt) of Chicago, Illinois; 9 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; and her brother, Orville  Orth of Jesup, Iowa. 

Verona was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Olinda Orth; husband, Rev. Edgar A.  Zelle; son Kenton Zelle; sisters Margaret Schildmeier, Miriam Frush, Arlene Wirtz, and Irma  Hopkins. 

Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 6:30 pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran  Church and School in Waverly. The service will be live-streamed at https://www.youtube.com/ live/zGYaNjj1DwA. Private family burial will be held in Harlington Cemetery in Waverly.  Memorials may be directed to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School, Allen College, Zion 

Jubilee Lutheran Church or the donor’s choice. Online condolences for Verona’s family may be  left at www.kaisercorson.com.