Earl V. 'Zig Zag' Zafft
April 21, 1928 - June 25, 2007
CANTON, Minn. - Earl V. "Zig Zag" Zafft, 79, of Canton died Monday June 25, 2007, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minn.
Earl Vernon Zafft was born April 21, 1928, in Lebanon, S.D., to Albert and Georgia (Hart) Zafft.
He attended school in rural South Dakota. After school, he worked at John Morell. At the age of 16, he joined the Merchant Marines and served five years in the South Pacific during World War II. After leaving the Merchant Marines, he went back to John Morell.
On Nov. 28, 1949, he married Ruth Newton in Tracy, Minn. They lived in many states and settled in Canton in September 1969. He worked for Turizillo Construction Co. of Ohio for 34 years and then seven years for the Borton Construction Co. of Kansas.
He was a member of the Henrytown Lutheran Church and was a member of the Church Council. He was also a member of the American Legion in Canton and the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Mabel.
He enjoyed John Deere equipment, watching Minnesota Vikings football, gardening, going to the sales barn and farming. He especially enjoyed his family and friends and his church.
Earl is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ruth; eight sons, Zeke of Canton, Russell of Bremerton, Wash., Riley "Duane" (Janet) of Winona, John (Lavonne) of Rochester, Vernon of Mabel, Andrew "Jay" (Dina) of Rochester, Joe (Kari) of Waseca, Minn., and Anthony "Tony" of Canton; a daughter, Suezen (Keith) Glaser of Alta Vista, Iowa; 19 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; three brothers, Herb of St. Louis Park, Minn., Norman (Charlotte) of Esteline, S.D., and Dennis of Houston, Texas; three sisters, Phyllis (Oten "Sandy") Sanders of Charlotte, N.C., and Betty Martinez of Hacienda Heights, Calif.; and a sister-in-law, Grace Zafft of Estelline, S.D.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers Clarence, Gary Hanson and one in infancy; and a grandson.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 30, at Henrytown Lutheran Church, with Minette Stalheim Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery, with military rites by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Mengis Funeral Home in Mabel and one hour prior to services at the church.
Memorials to the Henrytown Lutheran Church are preferred in lieu of flowers.
