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While on furlough back in South Dakota, he married Dorothy
Boehmer. To this union four children were born. After the wedding
they returned to Klamath Falls where Dorothy got a job teaching
school, and John was assigned to a supply depot. After the war ended
John got his discharge, and they returned to the ranch. John and his
brother, David, worked the ranch on shares for a couple of years. They
then bought it from their parents and divided it up.
John bought his first registered Hereford heifers in 1940 which was
the beginning of the Bar JZ Ranches. He hosted his first production
sale in 1950. In 1970, when Limousin cattle were first introduced into
the United States, he became one of the founding 100 members of the
North American Limousin Foundation. In 1994 John was inducted
into the American Polled Hereford Association Hall of Fame for his
contribution to the breed. Bar JZ Ranches continues John’s legacy in
the beef cattle industry.
John was a director at the First State Bank of Highmore for a number
of years until age 65. John was also a member of the school board and
the township board of Valley Township. In 1965, John formed the Bar
JZ bowling team that he bowled on until the bowling alley closed in
2012. In 2012, he was inducted into the South Dakota Bowling Hall
of Fame. In 1985, he started participating in the South Dakota senior
games and has many all-time records in various sports in different age
brackets. In 2005, he was honored for being the outstanding athlete
over 80, and in 2010 John and his brother Dave were both inducted
into the South Dakota State Senior Games Hall of Fame.
In 2000, John retired at 87 years old and went out of the cattle
business. He sold the ranches to his sons and concentrated on
gardening, golf, pool, cards and the Senior Center in Highmore. He
wrote weekly editorials to the newspapers in eastern South Dakota.
His age put up no barriers. In 2007, John started going to the National
Senior Games and won numerous gold, silver and bronze medals
throughout the United States over the next 12 years. He competed in
his last Senior Games at age 105.
John was a lifelong learner and always put a high value on education.
He has funded educational scholarships in Hyde County and at South
Dakota State University. He established the John Zilverberg Family
Community Fund as a perpetual endowment.
His wife, Dorothy, passed away in December of 2008 after 63
years of marriage and John remained in their house until he was
104 years old. In December of 2017, he moved to Aberdeen and
lived at Primrose Independent Living until he moved to Prairie
Heights Healthcare.
John is survived by his children Marci (Mike) Wiedebush,
Aberdeen; Donald (Peggy) Zilverberg, Holabird; Karen (Ray) Geditz,
Ipswich; Gary (April) Zilverberg, Holabird; 13 grandchildren; 13
great grandchildren; and a sister Janette (William) Kubat Patterson,
Edmond, OK. He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy, his
parents, and three brothers, Mac, David and James.
Featuring sons of COLE Explorer, MAGS Cable and TMCK Cash Flow.
March 3, 2020 • 1 p.m.
Toppenish Livestock Commission
Toppenish, Washington
Selling 65 Limousin
Lim-Flex and Angus Bulls
Semen $40
Contact
Grassroots Genetics
866.305.9600
Yearlings and Fall Yearlings
COLE Explorer 22E
Homo Polled • Black • Purebred
COLE Architect 08A x COLE Miss Windfall 126Y
BW: 2.3 WW: 100 YW: 148 MK: 16 SC: 1.0 YG: -.64 REA: 1.41 MB: -.53 $MTI: 46
Our lead herd sire is truly getting the job done. His calves are
made right and packed full of muscle and performance. His sons
are maturing into impressive herd bulls in their own right.
BRAD BEUS
Pasco, WA 99301
509/727-2082 • [email protected]
20
Our more than 30 years of breeding Limousin and Lim-Flex cattle
makes us one of the longest running operations in the Northwest.
Our background managing a feedlot has helped us select balanced-trait
seedstock that excel in a variety of scenarios and markets.
• JANUARY 2020