Sadly, our brother, Helmut Ziel, age 77, passed away on January 3, 2026. He had suffered from numerous health issues in the last few years. 

Helmut was born on March 24, 1948 to parents Fred (Gotthilf) Ziel and Gertrud (Ziebart) Ziel in Obertraubling, Germany. The family immigrated to the United States in March of 1952. Helmut became a naturalized citizen along with his parents and siblings. Since farming is a family enterprise, Helmut worked on the dairy farm with his brothers.  Ziel's dairy was a staple in the the Windsor community for many years. 

Helmut served in the US Army from 1966 until his discharge in 1969. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam and was even involved in the Tet Offensive (January 1968).

  Helmut married Glenna Tucker on June 11, 1970. They had one son, Shannon, born the following year. Glenna and Helmut both eventually went to work for Kodak. Helmut started there in 1974, not long after they opened. He left Kodak in 1991 after 17 years of service.

He worked various jobs until his parents became ill. He helped care for them until his father's death in 1999. After that, he moved in with his mother and became her primary caregiver until her passing in 2011.

Helmut himself had medical issues largely due to his service in Vietnam. He suffered hearing loss due to the explosion of a nearby ammunition depot and was also exposed to agent orange.

Two of Helmut's loves were his son, Shannon, and his teddy bear Pomeranian, Toby. You could often see Helmut walking in the neighborhood, Toby by his side. He would stop to talk to all the neighbors, who had to stop to pet Toby!  He also loved the Denver Broncos and cars. He could tell you, just by listening, if you had an engine problem! 

Tragically,  Shannon was killed in Greeley,  Colorado on June 18, 2021.

Helmut was preceded in death by Shannon and by his parents, Fred and Gertrud. He was also preceded in death by two nephews, Jeremy Hartshorn and Ryan Ziel.

Helmut is survived by his three brothers and one sister. They are John (Hilde) of Westminster; Reinhold (Twila) of Windsor; Arthur (Vivian) of Brighton and Rose Marie Hartshorn (Ken) of Windsor. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. 

Helmut's memorial service will be held on January 23rd, 2026 at 11:00am at Faith Church in Windsor, reception to follow. If anyone wants to make a contribution, please make a donation to any veterans organization of your choice.