Lawrence P. Zielke, “Lar”, age 68, of Eden Prairie, formerly of Prior Lake, passed away on Sunday, July 27, 2025.
Larry was born in La Crosse, Wisc., on Nov. 3, 1956, the son of Rinold and Mary (Cornell) Zielke. He graduated from Onalaska High School and was named the Athlete of the Year his senior year. After high school he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his undergraduate degree in Economics and went on to receive his J.D. from William Mitchell Law School in St. Paul. He was proud to be an attorney, and was the managing partner at Shapiro and Zielke, as well as First Financial Title.
Lar married Joan Haar on Dec. 4, 1992, and the couple had three wonderful children, his son, Daniel, and two daughters Natalie, and Sophia. He was the ultimate family man who loved raising his family with Joan in Prior Lake and spending time on the water and enjoying the “lake life.”
Lar was a huge Badger and Packer fan. He was very close with his siblings, and attended games recently with his brother, which was very special for both. Lar was a history buff; his family loved to pick his brain for fun facts. He liked to travel, became an avid bird watcher, and he adored his golden retriever, “Ruby.”
Lar will be remembered for his steadfast resiliency and optimism while undergoing a Bone Marrow Transplant in 2019 and the challenges that came after. A special thank you to the medical team at MHealth BMT. With their incredible care, Lar was able to walk both of his daughters down the aisle and welcome his latest grandson into the world.
Survivors include his wife, Joan; son, Daniel (Jamie); daughters, Natalie (Ben) Hunerberg, and Sophia (John) Torborg; grandchildren, Grasyn, Brantley, Elliette, and Noah; siblings, Cathy (Ron) Whiteman, David (Diane) Zielke, Diane Zielke, and Joan (Michael) DeLisio; as well his aunt Joan, uncle Mick, nieces, nephews and cousins. Preceded in death by his parents, Rinold and Mary Zielke.
Visitation will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025, from 9 to 10:45 a.m., followed by the Funeral Service at 11 a.m. with lunch included afterwards. All will be held at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, 3611 N Berens Rd NW, Prior Lake.
Services were arranged by McNearney – Schmidt Funeral & Cremation, 1220 Third Avenue East, Shakopee.