AJ (Anthony Jerome) Zdroik, 23, passed from his earthly life on Oct. 12, 2017 in a railroad construction accident in Moulton, Iowa.

He was born on May 14, 1994 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield to Tom and Trish (Weiss) Zdroik.

AJ grew up on his family farm in Rosholt. He graduated from Rosholt High School in 2012. After high school, he attended Northcentral Technical College where he worked so hard that he received two credentials in just two years. He studied both agricultural technology and welding.

His primary passion for work was on his family farm where he managed and marketed earth-friendly crops and beef cattle. Next, while working for Specialty Potatoes of Rosholt, AJ envisioned and built the highly efficient potato grading equipment from wall-to-wall.

Finally, he fulfilled his dream to work on the pipeline, through SPS of Rosholt, while temporarily taking a railroad construction assignment so he could come home every weekend to help his family with the farm harvest.

Employers and coworkers say AJ had a special brilliance, a highly productive work ethic, an intuitive attention to quality and problem-solving, and a solemn joy and generosity when it came to teaching and helping others.

AJ liked to host cookouts on the farm where the neighborhood boys would gather, surrounding the farm shed with their trucks. And though he had not yet conquered the whole “8 second ride”, he enjoyed an occasional bull ride. He went to church every Sunday and was on a mission to build up his family farm in a way that honored his family and his Creator.

AJ is survived by his parents, Tom and Trish Zdroik, his adoring siblings, Alex, Abe, and Angi, and two grandmothers Cheri Weiss of Wisconsin Rapids and Sandi Adams of Houston, Texas.

He was preceded in death by both paternal grandparents (Maynard and Mary Jane Zdroik), his maternal grandfather (Herb Weiss), his Uncle Chuck, Uncle Mark and cousin Cody, and many pre-born siblings.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church 7375 Church St., Custer, Wis. on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 11 AM, where family will be greeting friends and relatives from 9:15-10:45 AM.

A visitation will be held at Shuda Funeral Chapel, 3200 Stanley St. in Stevens Point on Wednesday, Oct. 25 between 4-8 PM, with a Chaplet of Divine Mercy prayed at 4 PM and the Holy Rosary prayed at 7 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests living plants and trees that can memorialize AJ’s life year after year

Online condolences may be sent by visiting http://www.shudafuneral.com.