Gerald Zahren

Gerald Zahren died on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the age of 90, from complications caused by COPD. His loved ones were blessed to be able to gather and say goodbye at the end of his life. 

A visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, May 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Lake Park Community Center. Instead of flowers, the family suggests donations in Gerald’s name to the Silver Lake Country Club Building Fund, 165 Country Club Dr, Lake Park, IA 51347. Donations for the building fund will also be accepted at the visitation.

Gerald was born in Lake Park on July 6, 1934, to Gilbert Zahren and Charlotte (Lenz) Zahren. He was the youngest of four siblings. Gerald married Jana Ruth (Clark) Zahren on December 22, 1956. They had two children, Teresa and William. 

Gerald lived in Lake Park for all but a few years. He attended Lake Park Community School, where he got his widely used nickname, Tweet, based on his ability to imitate the Tweety Bird cartoon character. His extensive civic involvement included serving on the Lake Park City Council and being a member of the American Legion and the United Methodist Church. 

His auto repair shop, G&S Garage, was a staple on Lake Park’s main street for 30 years until his retirement in 1997. Throughout his 90 years in Lake Park, Gerald particularly enjoyed interacting with others. His family marveled at his knack for meeting new people and having them laughing within 30 minutes. Gerald loved getting to know people and entertaining them with stories from his long life.

He was a skilled auto mechanic who loved restoring broken cars to working order. He also helped build his family’s home in Lake Park in the early 1960s. As much as he loved fixing automobiles, Gerald equally enjoyed interacting with his partners and customers throughout his long career. Coffee time at G&S Garage, every weekday at 3 p.m., was a gathering of friends in a small coffee room where the world’s problems were solved with dubious plans and loud laughter. 

Gerald’s auto mechanic career started with an interest in school and grew when he joined the United States Army at age 19 in 1954. After basic training and Army automotive repair schools in the U.S., he served a year in the Second Armored Division based in Mainz, Germany, before his honorable discharge in 1956. Gerald and Jana were married in December of that year. The couple lived briefly in Spirit Lake before moving to Lake Park to build a house on a plot of land Gerald purchased next door to his childhood home. 

After working with his father driving a gravel truck for five years, Gerald began his career as an auto mechanic in Lake Park, first for a car dealership and then at G&S Garage. He had two partners, Stan Albers (the S in G&S) and later his lifelong friend, Arlen Voss. Both Stan and Arlen preceded Gerald in death. 

Outside of work, Gerald’s passion was golfing, which he took up in his 40s and played well into his 80s. He was very active in the governance of the Silver Lake Country Club, including service on the board of directors. Gerald formed many long-lasting friendships on the golf course. He loved gardening and growing cucumbers to make his famous dill pickles.

Gerald enjoyed being involved in the lives and careers of his children, Teresa (Lincoln, Nebraska) and William (West Des Moines, Iowa), who married Rhonda (Schreur) Zahren in 1985. Gerald was a loving grandfather to Bill and Rhonda’s two children, Haley (Sioux City, Iowa) and Jena (Denver, Colorado), and his great-grandchildren—Jena’s daughter, Gracelyn, and Haley’s son, Kyler—who always made him laugh.

He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Herma Hensley (2006), Cecil Zahren (2016), and Lois Vetter (2020), and all of his siblings-in-law. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jana, son and daughter, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

Gerald and his family give thanks for his long life and the many friends and loved ones who knew him simply as Tweet and made his life so rich. 

Condolence cards can be sent to Jana at P.O. Box 248, Lake Park, IA 51347.