Member profile: Rep. Ray Zirkelback
Ray Zirkelbach was elected to his second term in the Iowa House of Representatives in 2006. In 2005, Ray was called to active duty by the US Army and began serving in Iraq, and consequently he missed the 2006 and 2007 legislative sessions. He is an Infantryman with CO A 1/133rd Infantry in Dubuque, IA. He is a Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. He received the Purple Heart for wounds received in Combat in August 2006 in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
Ray serves as the Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee and also serves on the Agriculture, Labor, and Public Safety Committees as well as the Justice Systems Budget Subcommittee.
Ray is a correctional counselor at the Anamosa State Prison and a soldier in the National Guard.
Ray was born in Manchester and raised in Scotch Grove, Iowa. Ray graduated from Monticello High School. He enlisted in the National Guard when he was 17. He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a BA in Criminal Justice. He completed an internship with the Social Services Department while attending college, and then was hired as a correctional counselor at the Anamosa State Penitentiary after completing college.
Ray and Emily Hartkemeyer, who is a Registered Nurse at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, were married in December 2002. She attended Monticello High School and Northeast Iowa Community College. Emily is employed at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics as a RN. Ray and Emily have one child, Claire.
Ray attends Peace United Church of Christ in Monticello. He is a charter, and lifetime, member of the Monticello AMVETS. He is also part of Monticello’s Drill Team, Olin American Legion and the VFW. He is also a charter member of the Monticello Eagles Club and a lifetime member of the Anamosa Penitentiary Museum.
