Larry Gordon Zaun, 73, of Valley City, ND, died February 12, 2023, at home after a long battle with cancer. He was born January 13, 1950, in Valley City, the son of Lloyd and Marit (Friestad) Zaun. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 16th at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Valley City. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Buffalo, ND. A prayer service will be held Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. at St. Thomas Church. The services will be live streamed, then archived, on a link provided along with his obituary on his tribute page at www.lerudmathias.com An online guestbook is available there as well. Interment will be held in the spring.
Larry attended Noltimeier Township School until 1957, when his family moved to the Buffalo area to continue farming, where unbeknownst to him he would meet his future wife in the 3rd grade. He graduated from Buffalo High School, Class of 1968, where he enjoyed participating in all sports while he was also developing his love for farming. In 1969, he enlisted in the Army National Guard, where he served for 7 years while farming.
On October 23, 1971, he married Penny Pollock at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Alice, ND and they settled on a farm near Buffalo. Larry and Penny cultivated a very special 51-year marriage, centered around the love of God. They consistently adored each other and set a quiet example to those who knew them. Their faith and commitment to each other was present every day as they lovingly raised 5 children and were overjoyed by their grandchildren and great-granddaughter. After 47 years of farming, including 18 years of selling Pioneer Seed and several years of selling insurance for First State Bank of Buffalo, Larry and Penny retired to Valley City.
His passion for cars started at a very young age. At the age of 9, he began perusing car lots in Valley City. His first car was a 1970 Vitamin-C Orange Dodge Super Bee. Later in life he modified his father’s ‘49 International farm pick-up truck into a bright yellow street rod, affectionately called “The Binder.” It was the same pick-up that he had learned to drive at a very young age. From car club cruise nights to the entire Route 66, Larry & Penny made great memories in the Binder with friends. The hobby led to building a ‘48 International street rod pick-up for show. He was a longtime member and served as president of the Lisbon Hi-Way Rollers, where he made special friendships. He was also a member of Bridge City Cruisers in Valley City. Larry was the founder of the Shuffle Off to Buffalo Car Show and like everything else he did, he gave it his all.
Service to his church and community were very important to him. He was always willing to lend a helping hand. He was a founding member & original board member of the Maple Valley Oil Association Co-op and resident for 26 years. He was chaplain of the Easton-Yanish Legion Post 10 for 35+ years. He was an active member of the Buffalo Community Club, where he also served as president, served on many committees and was instrumental in community days. He was a member of the St. Thomas Parish Council and also a director. There were countless other committees and organizations that he was a part of over the years.
Larry is survived by his wife Penny, Valley City, children Todd (Sara), Buffalo, ND, Ryan (Tracie), Buffalo, ND, Chad (Tracey), Valley City, ND, Sheila (Chris) Larson, Valley City, ND, and Alison (Josh) Kasowski, Valley City, ND, siblings Dale Zaun, Valley City, ND, Kathy (Bruce) Anderson, Valley City, ND, Mark (Eileen) Zaun, New Town, ND, Jeff (Jill) Zaun, Buffalo, ND and special cousins Lynelle (Larry) Osgood, Minneapolis, MN, and Carole (Gary) Steidl, West Fargo, ND, 15 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
The Lerud Mathias Funeral Home is assisting Larry’s family with arrangements.