Erhart Ziemann

Erhart Arthur Ziemann, 80, Bismarck, went to be with the Lord March 7, 2006. Services will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Thomas R. Marcis, Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Friday at Eastgate Funeral Service where a prayer service will be held at 3:30 Friday afternoon. A "Celebration of Life" party will be held from 3?5 PM on Saturday at the Bismarck Moose Lodge. Erhart was the 12th child of Immanuel and Martha Rahn Ziemann and he was born at the Ziemann family farm, 16 miles north of Hazen, North Dakota on March 6, 1926. He went to country school and Hazen High School. He joined the U.S. Marines on April 28, 1944, stationed at San Diego, California, and then to Camp Pendleton, at Oceanside, California. It was at this time Erhart accepted the Lord as his Savior at a Billy Graham Crusade. He was shipped out to Hawaii on December 29, 1944 and joined the 4th Division. He was a private in the Battle of Iwo Jima, and was wounded on March 5, 1945, as he and two buddies were trying to knock out a sniper. May 17, 1946 Erhart was honorably discharged with decorations including the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon, expert rifleman medal, good conduct medal and an honorable discharge ribbon. On May 30, 1948, he married Lucille Reinhardt at Peace Lutheran Church at Hazen. They moved to Bismarck and he worked as a body man at Davis Chevrolet until 1960. Erhart could fix a wrecked car in one weekend and make it look as good as new! He worked at the Bismarck Park and Recreation helping at the parks, and also assisted ranchers during the calving season. He loved to fish at Duck Bay, Canada and taking Cindy and Jerry fishing at Apple Creek, and ice fishing on the Missouri River. He was proud of his green thumb and would grow strawberries, peanuts, gooseberries and many flowers that his mother, Martha, grew on the farm. He enjoyed having coffee with his friends at the Senior Center, playing his harmonica, and listening every Sunday to the "Polka Hour" on the radio. He was a member of the Germans from Russia, the VFW, DAV, and very proud to be a Marine. One of his proudest moments was on July 13, 2001 when he received his honorary high school diploma from Hazen High School and he had an article written in the Bismarck Tribune about his diploma. Erhart is survived by his wife of 57 years, Lucille; two daughters and one son-in-law, Cindy Highley and Tiffany and Mikel Schiermeister, all of Bismarck, ND; two sons and one daughter-in-law, Gerald and Marge Ziemann and Wes Ziemann, all of Bismarck; eight grandchildren, Nicole Dave Hoekstra, Sarah Highley, Audrea Highley, Nathan Kelly Ziemann, Jonathan StacyAnn Ziemann, Kristi Ziemann, Alexis Schiermeister, and Lukas Schiermeister; six great-grandchildren, Taylor and Jason Hoekstra, Brenden and Abigail Ziemann, and GracieLee and Mia Kay Ziemann; two sisters, Erna Heimark, Bremerton, WA and Freida Stiefel, Jamestown, ND; one brother, Walter Ziemann, Hazen, ND; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, McKenna Schiermeister. As Erhart always said, "Have a Good Day!"

Erhart Ziemann

March 6, 1926 - March 7, 2006