Zelma Kenreck

Zelma Page Kenreck,

Our beloved Zelma left us on September 24, 2021. She was born to Shirley and Mittie Page of Tarkington Prairie, Texas on January 6, 1928.

Zelma lived her youth on "the Prairie" with 10 brothers and sisters. The whole family worked on their family farm, raising corn, sugar cane, watermelon, peas, potatoes and the like. Work came before school so many days she watched the bus pass before she could get the morning milking done. Farm life involved lots of hard work and that shaped Zelma’s entire life. She never stopped working hard for the people she loved.

When she was 15, her older sister Chip came home to visit. Chip found Zelma on a tractor plowing in the fields and said “that's enough hard farm life for you” and took her away to Beaumont, Texas.

Zelma's older siblings helped to put her through Beauty School. With her Beauty License she worked at a beauty salon. The owner had a nephew that would become her future husband: Jerry Asaro. After their marriage, Jerry began attending college at Texas A&M in Bryan-College Station. There Zelma had her first son Steven on July 12, 1949, followed by sons David on July 26, 1950 and Bruce on February 5, 1952.

Work took Jerry and Zelma to Southern California where Zelma had sons Roy on September 2, 1953 and Stanley on July 9, 1955. Zelma’s marriage to Jerry ended and she was left to single handily raise and care for her five young boys. This is where her hard working upbringing came into play. She never wavered and always kept her children fed, clothed and sheltered. All while attending night school and being a Boy Scout Den Mother.

Then while helping a niece get to a job interview, they stopped for lunch. There she bumped into George Kenreck. It was love at first sight for him, but she told him to get lost because she had five little boys at home. That didn't stop him and soon they were married.

George and Zelma had a daughter, Susan, July 6, 1959. If you are following the math, that is six children Zelma brought into the world and is her most enduring legacy.

Zelma loved her Texas farm life. After having Susan, George took Zelma back to Tarkington Prairie in 1960. Together, they worked a 70+ acre farm, raising their kids, a garden and lots of animals. Zelma loved their cows and gave each one their own name!

In 1965, work called them back to California. Lancaster was no farm, but Zelma took up other hobbies. Volunteering on PTA activities, Girl Scout Leader, golfing, and sewing. She also loved to sing and joined “The Mother Singers" and "Emblem Club Choir".

In February 1978 with the kids all grown, the farm life called again. They moved back to Tarkington Prairie, where they lived and worked their 120 acre farm. She loved being outside either gardening, mowing, or tending to the cows, dogs and chickens. She loved her church family at both Rural Shade then Prairie Baptist where she kept the nursery for a time, and cooked for many church functions, sang in the choir and helped in the food bank. She served as an election judge many years, worked crossword puzzles, sewed wool shirts for George, dresses for granddaughters and quilted many baby blankets. She expressed her faith and showed her love through her work.

Zelma is proceeded in death by her parents Shirley and Mittie Page. Her brothers: infant Frank, Allen, Lloyd, Hollis, and Virgil. Sisters: Blanche, Ruby (Chip), and Bessie (Boots). Her grandsons: infant Stuart Asaro, Anthony Asaro, Justin Howell Asaro and Aaron Asaso on June 2, 2021. Her son David Asaro on June 20, 2021 and daughter-in-law Jill on June 26, 2021.

Zelma is survived by her husband George, sisters Sudie and June, sons Steven & wife Colleen, Bruce & wife Marcella, Roy, Stanley & wife Karen, daughter Susan & husband Tommy, grandchildren Brian, Stephanie, Alisa, Robert, Tyson, Ben, Libby, Hennessey, Allison, Barbara, Cindy. Many nephews, nieces, great grandchildren and numerous lifetime friends.

Zelma’s services will be held on October 2, 2021 at Prairie Baptist Church under the direction of Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Cleveland, Texas. She will be eternally laid to rest at Ryan Cemetery in Cleveland, Texas alongside her son David, daughter-in-law Jill and grandson Aaron.

In lieu of flowers the family encourages you to make a donation to your church or favorite charity.