Zelora J. (Bishop) Lentz

Zelora J. Lentz, age 90 of Arlington, died on Monday, June 29, 2020 at the Ridgeview Medical Center in Arlington.  Funeral services will be held at the United Methodist Church in Arlington on Monday, July 6, 2020 at 11:00am.  Pastor Michael Baker will officiate the services. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in the Arlington Public Cemetery.  Due to COVID-19, the visitation and funeral are by reservation only. Please call Pastor Michael or Jean Olson at 507-964-2288 or 507-964-5643 to reserve a space.  

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Zelora was born to Charles H. and Sarah Alice (Rodman) Bishop on September 28, 1929 in Crookston, MN.  She spent most of her childhood in Roseau County attending the Roseau Lake School District #102 from 1935-1943.  She attended Roseau High School for three years.  It was during this time that she, at the age of 14, received Christian Baptism on the 5th day of December, 1943 at the Methodist Church in Roseau, MN and was confirmed and received into full membership in the Methodist Church in May, 1944, by Pastor M. Ellen Beitler.  Zelora graduated from Badger Cond. School District #42 on June 4, 1947.  She attended Bemidji State Teacher’s College receiving her Associate Degree in Education.  She received her Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Elementary Education and Elementary Administration.Zelora’s first teaching position was in a rural school at Becida, MN, teaching all eight grades.  Following this she taught third and fourth grades at the White Earth Indian Reservation for one year and then went to Parkers Prairie where she taught sixth grade for two years.  In the fall of 1953, she accepted a teaching position at the Arlington public school teaching third and fourth grades for one year.  She was then offered a third-grade teaching position with the added responsibility of becoming the first elementary school principal that Arlington public school ever had. 

On December 1, 1962, Zelora was united in marriage with Austin Lentz at the Arlington Methodist Church.  She continued working for the school district up until her retirement in 1992, having been employed by the Arlington-Green Isle school district for 39 years.She enjoyed cooking, reading, fishing, playing cards, crafts, yard work, and would lend a helping hand when needed.  She also loved doing research of her family and was the first family member to compile both a Lentz and a Bishop genealogy.

She is survived by her sisters, Shirley (Norman) Morken of Thief River Falls, MN, and Irene (Delbert) Lee of Badger, MN; and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Austin; sister, Zella (Melvin) Lee; brother, Clarence (Esther) Bishop; and other half-brothers and sisters.

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