Paul J. Ziegler

With family by his side, Paul “Zake” Jay Ziegler of Mankato, Minnesota passed away peacefully on Friday, February 7th after a protracted battle with pancreatic cancer. Paul was born on December 8th, 1965, in Mankato, MN, the son of Sylvester “Ken” Ziegler and Jeanette (Flury) Ziegler. 

Visitation will be held Friday, February 14th from 4pm to 7pm at Northview ~ North Mankato Mortuary 2060 Commerce Dr, North Mankato, MN. Funeral Mass will take place Saturday, February 15th at 11am with preceding visitation at 10am at Saints Peter and Paul Church, 105 N 5th Street, Mankato, MN. Father Joe Fogal will officiate. Burial at Calvary Cemetery, Mankato.

Paul spent his school years in the Mankato Catholic school system, where he fostered lifelong friendships. He graduated from Loyola High School in 1984. Paul forged solid acquaintanceships with several classmates, and this group attended every reunion and homecoming football game after their graduation from Loyola. 

Paul spent much of his youth, “across the road” at Tom and Connie Adams’ farm, his second home, hanging out with the Adam’s boys playing and doing farm chores. He always cherished those times, retelling stories from those days throughout his life. 

After graduation, Paul worked at Carlson Craft before moving on to becoming a redi-mix truck driver, a position he held for 30 years. He began at North Star Concrete, and subsequently worked for American Concrete, and most recently, Cemstone Concrete. 

Paul was an avid hobbyist, enjoying traditional bow shooting and hunting, bowfishing, conservation, collecting and playing Concertinas, leather crafting, and golf. He was also a local history buff and was an encyclopedia of information relating to Blue Earth County history. Of these, it was his love of traditional longbows that took him on trips all over the United States, hunting deer, wild hogs, and black bears as well as bowhunting for giant Texas alligator gar fish, and myriad other fish species. 

Paul developed into an elite bow shooter, harvesting many impressive trophies, and winning numerous archery tournaments. He was the founding vice president of the Land of Lakes Bowfishing Association, an organization that successfully pushed legislation through the Minnesota legislature, opening opportunities for Minnesota sports folks that previously were not available. Paul was immensely proud of that work. 

Paul started playing Concertina late in life and immediately became enamored with the complex instrument. He became a member of concertina clubs, attending concertina jams here in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He soon started a sideline leather crafting business, specializing in custom-designed concertina hand straps that he shipped to satisfied customers all over the country. 

Paul’s high school days, motorcycling days, archery lifestyle, and his concertina hobby created separate and sometimes intersecting circles of friends. Folks from these friendship circles all considered Paul to be their best friend, a genuine testament to Paul’s dedication to his friends and family, which was absolute. Paul was selfless, always there to aid friends and family with any project. Paul made sure to be there to support his niece, Clara Jo Legg, as well as “adoptive” nieces, Ellie and Molly Hodapp in all their athletic, school, and artistic endeavors.

Paul was a member of Saints Peter and Paul’s Church, Minnesota bowhunters, LAD archers and Bowbenders Archery club, and lifetime member of Land of Lakes Bowfishing association, and an active participant in concertina organizations. In 1994, he garnered awards for the biggest archery bagged black bear and whitetail buck, animals he harvested with a home-crafted longbow and self-made arrows. In 2007, he won the Minnesota Bowfisherman of the year award. 

Remaining to cherish Paul’s memory are his life partner of 30 years, Barb Michels and her extended family, father, Ken Ziegler, sister, Annie (Eric) Legg, nieces, Clara Jo Legg, Lisa Anderson and Laurie Anderson, God daughters, Sarah Leech and Molly Hodapp and Clara Jo Legg, and a very long list of close friends who will all profoundly miss him. 

Preceding Paul in death was his mother, Jeanette (Flury) Ziegler, and Betty Michels. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Paul’s name may be directed to Loyola Catholic School 1st grade Molly Hodapp or to the World Concertina Congress

The live stream link below is a complimentary service provided by Mankato Area Funeral Homes.

Unforeseen technical, internet, facility, and/or acoustical circumstances may produce a diminished end product. Please note, if the live stream does not appear, we are attempting to record and publish the service for later viewing.