Obituary of Harold H. Zieba

Harold Henry "Harry" Zieba, age 91 of Robbinsdale, peacefully passed away on July 15, 2016, at Prairie Senior Cottages of Isanti, Minnesota. Harry was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 27, 1925, and he was the fifth of six children born to Andrew and Anna Zieba. He was preceded in death by his beloved bride Dorothy "Toots", his parents, and his siblings Helen, Stella, Ed, Ray, and Gladys. He is survived by children David (Donna), Connie (Greg Smegal), and Bruce (Mary); ten grandchildren, Randy (Tracy), Kerri (Aaron), Sarah (Cory), Becky (Richard), Joe (Andrea), Matt (Amanda), Katie (Nic), Anna, Sveta, and Mikhail; seventeen great-grandchildren, Jake, Jared, Madi, Emma, Blake, Karen, Ryan, Jacek, Ben, Cole, Jack, Kameron, Riley, Raya, Henry, Luke, and Quinn; nieces and nephews; and many friends, including special friend Betty Sturm. Harry grew up in northeast Minneapolis in the midst of the Great Depression. His mother died in 1929 which left his father Andrew to raise the young family. Helen, the oldest sister, dropped out of school to keep the family together while Andrew worked to provide. While growing up, Harry had many adventures with his brother’s and the Duda cousins who lived next door. Once, the boys let a bag of sparrows loose in the corner grocery store, with one ending up in the ice cream cabinet; and frequently, they found themselves running away from the truant officer. The Duda and Zieba boys were also known for their baseball talents on the Schiller School team. After Schiller, he played football, basketball, and baseball for Edison High School. Upon high school graduation in June 1943, Harry enlisted in the US Navy. He was stationed in the Aleutian Islands (Adak Station) in the Bering Sea until his discharge in May 1946. Harry met his future wife, Dorothy, at a roller skating rink while on leave during his Naval service. This chance meeting led to their marriage in August 1946. After their wedding, he began his post office career at Highland Station in Minneapolis. Harry and Dorothy purchased their home in 1949 in Robbinsdale, raised three children, and he supported his family by also working many part-time jobs. They had many joyful years at 4229 Ewing. Harry was very active at Salem Lutheran Church: choir, council, and Salem’s Church Diner at the state fair. He coached Robbinsdale Youth Baseball teams, was a North Memorial Hospice volunteer for over 20 years, and after retiring from the postal service worked as a security guard for National City Bank in downtown Minneapolis for 15 years. He was very generous with his time in helping others. Of his many talents, his favorite was playing his concertina, which he learned at a very young age (self-taught) by ear, and he continued to play throughout his life. He was well known for Harry’s Polka Band, playing at church services, parades, nursing homes, weddings, and for family, friends, and neighbors. Harry and Dorothy were members of the Polka Lovers Klub of America and loved to travel to many of the ballrooms in the state for dances and music fests. They also spent several winters in Arizona with their extended group of 'snowbird' friends. The kitchen was a favorite spot for Harry, where he made countless cookies, banana breads and pistachio breads. He usually had eight to ten loaves in the freezer ready to hand out to his family and friends. Harry loved his family dearly, and worked extra hard to provide for them. His ready smile, humor, and friendliness touched many lives. He will be missed by all.