Zelpha M. Hooks, age 95, passed away on February 15, 2018 at Greenway Manor in Spring Green. She was born August 8, 1922 to Samuel and Elisa (Clavadatscher) Gasser. She graduated from Prairie du Sac High School in 1940 and married Milton (Bud) Hooks on May 17, 1941. In addition to being a loving and devoted mother and homemaker, Zelpha worked alongside Bud in a variety of occupations including farming, carpentry, truck driving and working in their restaurants in Lancaster and Mount Carol, IL . Bud preceded her in death on January 27, 1982.

After Bud's passing, Zelpha did daycare and worked on many volunteer projects throughout the years, including Zelpha's pantry named in her honor at Concordia United Methodist Church. She loved music, playing piano and accordion, (which she learned to play by ear), as well as yodeling. She also enjoyed genealogy; reading, embroidery, quilting and doing Scherenschnitte (meaning "scissor cuts" in German – art of paper cutting design).

Survivors include her six children, Marsha (Bill) Alt, Helen (Dan )McCann, Nita (Gary) Young, Lenny (Colleen), Dan (Linda), and Cliff (Yvonne) Hooks; twenty-eight grandchildren, 61 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren. She is further survived by brothers and sisters-in-law, Cletus (Trudy) Hooks, Mildred (Clinton) Stephens, Jean (Al) Frey, and Sharon Wildes, along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Zelpha was preceded in death by her parents; husband Bud, and grandson Gary Alt.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, February 22 at 11:00 a.m. at Concordia United Methodist Church in Prairie du Sac, WI. Friends may call at the church from 10:00 until the time of the service. Burial will take place in Walnut Hill Cemetery, Baraboo.