Arthur "Art" Lachenmeier

Arthur “Art” Lachenmeier, 89, Tappen, passed away Saturday, January 23, 2010, at Medcenter One Hospital. Services will be held at 10:30 am Saturday at United Methodist Church, Tuttle, with Rev. Walter Schott officiating. Spring burial will be held in the Tuttle Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm Thursday at Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck, and from 1:00 pm until 9:00 pm Friday at Eastgate Steele Memorial Chapel, Steele, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Art was born September 27, 1920, in Cokato Township, the son of August and Christena Becker Lachenmeier. He lived on a farm five miles northeast of Napoleon. Art attended Napoleon Public School for six years. He enjoyed riding a new 1928 Model A bus to school, which was driven by his uncle, Gust Lachenmeier. He finished seventh and eighth grade school in Cokato Township. After school, Art worked as a farm laborer for area farmers. In 1936, he went to Montana to work in sugar beet fields until 1944. In Montana, he also worked for Campbell Farming Corporation, which was the largest wheat farmer in the world at the time. He returned to North Dakota and worked on building and masonry construction from 1945 to 1948 in the Tuttle-Wing area. He married Denelda Zerr on November 28, 1948. In the spring of 1949 they moved to a farm southwest of Gackle where they farmed. The spring of 1951 they purchased their farm northeast of Napoleon where they raised their family and he has since resided. Art’s loves in life were his family and friends. He truly enjoyed his farming and ranching lifestyle. Music was important to Art, playing piano, organ and especially accordion for many family gatherings. He also enjoyed playing pinochle, fishing and taking road trips. Pitching horseshoes and a baseball game in the middle of the farmyard with his nieces and nephews involved was always a treat. Every grandchild, niece, and nephew was teased equally. Art is survived by his daughters, Charlotte James Rath, Tuttle, and Judy Randy Kluksdahl, Driscoll; his grandchildren, Michael Janell Rath, Lincoln, and their children, Jared, Tyler, and Katelyn; Bryan Mandy Rath, Steele, and their children, Jayden and Avery; Weston Tammy Kluksdahl, Driscoll, and their children, Julius, Jayden, Miranda and Angel; Abby Shad Bauer, Milbank, SD, and their children, Christena, Braydon, Peyton, Thomas, and Kader; and Dillon Kluksdahl, Driscoll; his sister, Ella Al Guthmiller, Jamestown; his sisters-in-law, Lorraine Lachenmeier, Hardin, MT, Edna Lachenmeier, Jamestown, and Alice Irvine, Bismarck; his brothers-in-law, Fred Zerr, Tuttle, Melvin Pearl Zerr, Mandan, Allan Dianne Zerr, Jamestown, and Dallas Zerr, Arena; his sisters-in-law, Gladys Zerr, Detroit Lakes, MN, Edna Flynn, Bismarck, Margie Jansen, Valley City, Janice Zerr, Albuquerque, NM, and Colleen Zerr, Pick City; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and long-time friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Denelda in 2009; his parents; his brothers, John, Willie, Albert, and August; and his sisters, Amelia, Christena, Edna, Helen, and Lillian.

Arthur "Art" Lachenmeier

September 27, 1920 - January 23, 2010