Reverend David Charles Ziemer

2021-02-11T15:07:09-06:00
  • Name: Reverend David Charles Ziemer
  • Location of Birth: Rochester, Minnesota
  • Date of Birth: February 7, 1944
  • Date of Death: August 20, 2000 (56 years old)
  • Parents: Charles Ziemer and Borghild (Ludvigson) Ziemer
  • High School and Class: 1962 - Richfield High School, Richfield, Minnesota
  • College: 1966 - St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota with a Bachelor's in Psychology
    University of Southern California - Master's Degree in Manpower Administration
    1981 - Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California with a Master of Divinity
    1998 - Clinical Pastoral Education from St. Mary's Medical Center, Duluth, Minnesota
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  • Other Branch: Army National Guard
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  • Military Highlights:
    Dave was active in the Army National Guard Reserves as a Chaplain and held the rank of Major.

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  • Civilian Life:
    As a child, David was raised in Virginia and at age 10, moved with his family to Richfield, Minnesota.

    As a freshman at St. Olaf College, he was elected vice-president of his class.

    He married Nikka Gomitzka on June 2, 1966, in Palm Desert, California.

    Dave was Personnel Director for the Santa Monica School System for several years and then worked for six years in Personnel Administration with the University of California in Berkeley, California.

    Dave was ordained in parish ministry at Concordia Lutheran Church in Concord, California in 1981. In 1982, he was called to serve as pastor for Lutheran Church of the Cross in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and served there for three years. In January, 1986, they moved to Deer River, Minnesota and he became the director and minister of Camp Hiawatha.

    In the fall of 1988, he was called to be the associate pastor for Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Cloquet, Minnesota and was serving in that capacity. In 1998, he completed four units of clinical pastoral education at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota.

    Dave enjoyed visiting his children, brothers and parents. He enjoyed traveling, gardening, fly fishing, camping, photography, reading, music, cross country skiing, hiking and sitting on his porch in the evening enjoying nature and an occasional cigar.

    He was a very proud grandfather to Laine, who affectionally referred to him as "Papa Dave". His compassion, kindness, tender gentleness, sense of humor and love of the Lord will be missed by all those who knew him.

    Dave is survived by sons, Daniel, Bradley, and Matthew; daughters Christine Ziemer and Elizabeth (Jamie) Langenbrunner; and their mother, Constance Ziemer; a granddaughter; his mother; his father, Charles (Delores) Ziemer; brothers, Paul (Barbara) and Jim (Rosa); several nieces and nephews; and many, many friends throughout the country.

    Dave is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Cloquet, Minnesota. (Section D)

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