John Zarn

John Zarn, 84, of Langdon, ND passed away on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at Cavalier County Memorial Hospital in Langdon, ND.

John was born April 23, 1928 by Langdon, ND, at the home of his parents, John and Birdie (Arndt) Zarn. He attended country school in Langdon and Harvey Township up to the 8th grade. He experienced a lifelong developmental disability after he was lost at the age of 5. One mild March day in 1934, John was lost in thick fog when he tried to follow his father on foot, who had went out to a country road to fix a broken wagon that was used to take the older children to school that morning. He was not found until the next morning lying down by a slough unconscious not far from the family farm. He lived with his parents in the Langdon area until they both passed away.

In August 1977, he moved to Madelia, MN to live with his oldest sister, Alyce Danielson, and her husband, Carl. While he lived in Madelia, MN, he enjoyed going to workshop, visiting with his many friends in group homes, going out for coffee, working a part-time janitorial job at a bank and competing in the Special Olympics. He liked to travel and was able to go on trips with his family to California, Seattle, WA, and Branson, MO. He also was able to travel with his friends from Madelia to the Wisconsin Dells, Nashville, the Black Hills, and Florida to see the Kennedy Space Center, Disney World and Epcot Center.

In June 1998, after he decided he wanted to retire, he moved back to Langdon to live with his younger sister, Betty Plummer, and her husband, Ostle. John immensely enjoyed receiving Christmas and birthday cards from his many nieces and nephews each year and would proudly display them in his room along with the many pictures he received from them. John moved in the Osnabrock Good Samaritan Center in 2003. He moved into Maple Manor Care Home in Langdon just a few months ago. John will be remembered by his family for his outstanding memory for dates, especially the birthdates of all his family including his thirty nieces and nephews.

John is survived by his sister: Betty Plummer, Devils Lake, ND; brother-in-law: Ernie (Gail) Mutcher of Mesa, AZ; and twenty-seven nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents: John and Birdie Zarn; his sisters and their spouses: Alyce (Carl) Danielson, Delphia Mutcher, Mabel (Alvin) Dalstad, Helen (Floyd) Koehmstedt, his brother and his wife: Orvil (Eleanor) Zarn; brother-in-law: Ostle Plummer; and nephews: William Zarn, Richard Zarn and David Plummer.

Services will be held on Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel in Langdon, ND. Visitation will start one hour before the time of the service.