Christy Ann Zentz

Christy Ann Zentz, 68, Bismarck, died April 8, 2011, at a Bismarck care center. A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 15, at 3:00 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1500 Country West Road, Bismarck, with Bishop Timothy Cox officiating. The memorial service will be followed by a supper. Per her request, Christy's body will be donated to University of North Dakota School of Medicine. Visitation will be Sunday, April 10, from 2:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck. Christy Ann Ackerman was born on February 16, 1943, in Fergus Falls, MN, the only child of Raymond and Ruth Haugen Ackerman. She was raised on a small farm five miles east of Erhard, MN. Her education was the best, by the three teachers she had at District 161 Country School. In seventh grade, the family moved to a larger farm in Dunn Township where she completed her high school education at Pelican Rapids High School. She then graduated from nurses training as an LPN at ND State School of Science in January 1964. She married her high school sweetheart, Gary Harold Zentz, on July 19, 1964, and she joined him in Bismarck where they have lived ever since. Christy never wanted her children to be lonesome, so she and Gary were blessed with sixteen children - adopted and biological. She worked in the nursing field for thirty years. She had open heart surgery and a major stroke in 2003 with many small strokes during the years that she tried to overcome for the rest of her life. Five words that Christy once chose to describe her life were: Wife – Mother – Mormon – Pro-Life – and Conservative. She was active in scouting, District 32 Republicans, the Mormon Temple, food storage, Farmers Market, and did many crafts, afghans, and quilts. She was also named North Dakota Mother of the Year in 2002. Christy is survived by her husband Gary and fifteen children: Raymond and Anji Moffit, CeNedra, Richard, Christian, and Caitlyn of Clinton, UT; Harold and Renae Ahlborn, Emily, Gideon, Lydia, Chammelia, Gloria, and Moroni of Riverdale, UT; Mary and Chuck Glasser, Weston and Payton "Bubba" of Bismarck, ND; Mona and Duane Grass, Avery, Saeder, Maitland, and Kasden of Salem OR; Todd of Bismarck; Stephanie and Todd Hoff, Savanna, Troy, and Travis, of Flasher, ND; Barry of Bismarck, and his children Jarvis and Dorothy and their mother, Rochelle Thurmond of Utah; Beverly and Jed Myers, Paige, Caleb, Emma, Audrey, and Holly of Lewistown, MT; Rachael and Russ Ulmer, Colton, Conner, Jarod, Justin, and Ashley of Bismarck; Gordon and Lesley Haines, Boedy, and Aspen of Houston, TX; Alex of Minnesota, his daughter Jessica, and Jessica's mother Melissa Schell of Bismarck, and his daughter Kalista and her mother, Mindy Peterson; Jennifer and Kent Yost, Kaydem, Kobe, Jaynee, Jaycee, Jaylee, and Jaymee of Jerome, ID; Eduardo of Devils Lake, ND; Amy and Ken Johnson, Timothy and Lilly of Highland, UT; and Nathan and Kim Lang, Jaeslei, Caber, and Cannon of Mandan, ND. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband's parents; and her infant daughter, Melanie. "I fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 3:12

Christy Ann Zentz

February 16, 1943 - April 8, 2011