Thomas H. Zerbe was born March 30, 1916 to Riley and Mary (Keller) Zerbe in Niles, Michigan. Thomas attended a Midshipman School in Chicago, IL for training in 1942. In November of 1942, Thomas became an officer and moved to San Diego, CA. for more training. He served in the United Sates Navy in World War Two in the Pacific. After an honorable discharge in 1944, he married Charlotte Boylan in Boston and they had four children (James, Ralph, Marianne, and Susan). They had a farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin for a short time and then moved to Ellington, Wisconsin, and purchased their farm on Quarry Road. Tom and his family farmed the land and after his retirement were interested in keeping the farm as a green space. He was a member of St. James United Methodist Church in Appleton, Wisconsin. Thomas Zerbe died in 2005 at the age of 88.

Charlotte Boylan was born in 1922 to Walter and Anne Boylan in Boyne City, Michigan. She attended Michigan State University for a teaching degree.

Walter Boylan was born in 1923. Walter served in the United States Navy during World War Two. He was stationed temporarily at Western Michigan University during 1943 for training and was housed on campus.