Randy R. Zieske

Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home – South Chapel in New Ulm, with Pastor Grant Bode officiating. Burial with full military honors accorded by the New Ulm Area Comrades of Valor Honor Guard will follow in St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service Thursday at the funeral home.

To leave an online condolence for the family, or to sign the guestbook, please visit: www.mvfh.org.

Randy Richard Zieske, son of Eunice and Eldon Zieske, was born July 24, 1952 in Princeton, MN. He grew up with his family in Cambridge, MN and graduated from Cambridge Public High School in 1970. He was an extraordinarily talented man, especially in all things mechanical.

After high school Randy was selected to participate in General Motors 6-month training program for mechanics. In less than a month, however, he was sent home because “there was nothing more they could teach him;” he not only knew everything they were planning to teach – he knew more. At age 13 he had already begun pulling engines out of old cars and rebuilding them. The local Ford Dealership in Cambridge actually called him at home a few times to ask him about parts and repairs because they generally just ordered replacement parts and didn’t tear things apart to repair them.

Randy served in the U.S. Air Force from 1972-76 during the Vietnam War. While serving, he was one of only 2 enlisted personnel selected for avionics calibration training. Nineteen others were college graduates. At the end of the training period only 5 students graduated; Randy was one of the five.

After the Air Force, Randy worked for Tower Systems in Africa, Europe, Canada and the U.S., building the towers that measured wind speeds and other environmental conditions to determine if effective wind energy could be harnessed. Following Tower Systems, Randy ran his own auto restoration business, returning classic cars to their original beauty.

Along with a lifetime love of cars, mechanics, and automotive restoration, Randy enjoyed building street rods and attending “Back to the 50s” events with his two sons. He also enjoyed duck and deer hunting with family, friends, and dogs. Self-contained though he was, Randy was an exceptionally kind and caring man. He was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church and left this world to join his Savior on Friday, May 12.

Randy is survived by his partner of 13 years, Lori Kley; his sons, Nathan (Deana) and Adam (Deanna); his brothers, Curtis (Sonya) and David (Chris); sister, Peggy (Murat) Shekem; and grandchildren, Jacob, Gage, Hudson, and Teresa.

A quiet man of many talents who was much loved, Randy will be greatly missed by those who were fortunate enough to have known him.