Zehnder Ranch Elementary is the 42nd school in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Follow this page for the latest updates! The Zehnder family has been an integral part of the Elk Grove community in agriculture, business and community services for nearly eight decades. The Zehnder Ranch was located along what are now Highway 99 and West Stockton Road, near what is now the Auto Mall.

Alfred Zehnder purchased the property in 1939 and established a dairy there. Later, the property expanded to 210 acres and was sold to and operated by his brother, Louis. He and his wife, Anne, raised milk cows and chickens. Their sons, John and Louis Jr., and daughter Joanne, all attended Elk Grove schools and graduated from Elk Grove High School (Classes of 1945, 1946, 1952)

In 1961, John and his wife, Nancy and their sons, lived on the ranch. All seven of them are graduates of Elk Grove High School, and they all live in the Elk Grove area. In 1982, the dairy business ended, and the ranch was converted to a beef cattle operation. Later, the property was purchased for a school and for development.

John Zehnder, Sr. has supported and contributed to the Elk Grove community for nearly 70 years. He and his wife Nancy are Elk Grove High School graduates, and so are all their sons, John Jr. (Linda), Tom (Nancy), Mike (Kathy), Dan (Richelle), Steve (Paula), Bryan (Colleen), and Paul (Shelly). All of the sons have pursued careers and raised their own families in Elk Grove, continuing their father and mother’s tradition of community involvement and passing it on to their children. All of the 23 grandchildren graduated from Elk Grove schools. Currently 6 of the 18 great-grandchildren attend Elk Grove schools.

John, Sr. has tremendous loyalty and pride for Elk Grove. He is past president and lifetime member of the Elk Grove Lions Club which recognized him with the Melvin Jones Award. He has been an Elk Grove Fire Department volunteer for 43 years and was president of the Firemen’s Association. John Sr.’s love of sports is reflected in his active involvement with Elk Grove High School football for over 60 years operating the scoreboard clock during Thundering Herd home games. He has been president of the Elk Grove Softball Association; a Cub master for Boy Scouts of America; has coached Pop Warner, Little League, soccer and basketball; and helped start the Western Festival Parade. John is a member of the California Cattlemen’s Association and the Knights of Columbus. John served on the Board of Directors of First Security Bank of Elk Grove for 20 years, and was a member of the Cosumnes College Agricultural Board and the Northern California Peace Officer Association. He was named Elk Grove’s Citizen of the Year in 1969 and is in the Elk Grove High School Hall of Fame.

Additional examples of the Zehnder family community involvement: John Zehnder, Jr. 15 a 34 year retired Elk Grove High School teacher and has coached football for 40 years; Dr. Tom Zehnder designed and developed the Franklin Ranch Pet Hospital which he currently owns; Mike Zehnder is a retired Battalion Chief after 36 years at the Elk Grove/Cosumnes Fire Department and his wife Kathy retired from the Office of the Superintendent after 36 years serving EGUSD; Mike and Kathy’s daughter, Kelly Zehnder-Olson is a counselor at Sheldon High School and her husband Jason Olson is and engineer at the Elk Grove/Cosumnes Fire Department; Mike and Kathy’s daughter Julie Zehnder Steffen is a teacher at Elitha Donner Elementary School and her husband Matthew Steffen is a teacher at Cosumnes Oaks High School; Mike and Kathy’s son-in-law Tim Lesher is a Fire Fighter/Paramedic at the Elk Grove/Cosumnes Fire Department; Dan Zehnder’s son, Scott, is an engineer at the Elk Grove/Cosumnes Fire Department; Dan’s son, Brandon, is an automotive technology teacher at Florin High School; Dan’s son, Tyler, is a teacher at Markofer Elementary School and his wife, Amanda, is a teacher at Carroll Elementary School; Dan’s daughter, Danelle Zehnder Smith, is a teacher at Elitha Donner; Steve Zehnder is a retired Captain at the Elk Grove/Cosumnes Fire Department; Bryan Zehnder is a current Captain at the Elk Grove/Cosumnes Fire Department and his wife Colleen is a teacher at Ellen Feickert Elementary School; Paul Zehnder is a current Battalion Chief at the Elk Grove/Cosumnes Fire Department.