Obit: Zahn, Rev. Thomas (1950 - 2015)

Contact: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Anderson, Cartwright, Howell, Rustman, Zahn

----Source: The Star News (Medford, WI) 4/16/2015

Zahn, Rev. Thomas (13 MAY 1950 - 20 MAR 2015)

Rev. Thomas Zahn, age 64, was called home to his Lord and Savior on March 20, 2015 in St. Peter at the Benedictine Living Community.

Memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Peter. Visitation will be from 4:00 - 7:00 pm Monday at St. Peter Funeral Home - Klein Chapel and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church Tuesday. Memorials are preferred to St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tom's memory.

The Lord brought Tom into this world on May 13, 1950, in Ft. Atkinson, WI and was baptized in the Lutheran faith in Jefferson, WI, on June 6, 1950. In 1964, he was confirmed in Thiensville, WI. Attended high school at Martin Luther Academy, New Ulm, MN, and graduated in 1968.

Attended Northwestern College, Watertown, WI, and graduated in 1972. On July 27, 1974, he was united in marriage to Catherine Disher, in Mequon, WI. Preparation for the public ministry continued at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, WI, concluding in 1976. He was privileged to serve the Lord as a pastor at St. Andrew, Medford, WI, and St. Peter, Rib Lake, WI, from 1976 to 1984. While there, he had the opportunity to establish Northland Lutheran High School in Merrill, WI, serving as secretary of its Board of Directors for six years. From 1984 to 1998, he was the pastor at St. Mark, Mankato, MN, and the WELS Campus Ministry pastor at Mankato State University. In 1998 he had to resign from the public ministry due to chronic pain, much of it stemming from a severe car accident in 1972. He and his wife and children then moved to St. Peter, MN.

Besides preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing His faithful promises, he truly enjoyed singing the many comforting hymns of faith. Being out in the beauty of the Lord's creation, especially the north woods, was a special privilege. As a handyman, he loved working with tools on countless projects, doing them right and well the first time. For fun, he watched NASCAR or the Green Bay Packers, solved brain teasers, read how-to magazines and did research on the computer. Next to his Lord and his wife, his closest friend was Luther, their Black Lab, with whom they shared life with for fourteen years.

Surviving family members include wife, Cathy; son, Jim (fiancee-Kathryn), St. Peter; daughters, Beth, Glendale, AZ, and Becky (Charlie) Rustman, (grandson-Noah) St. Peter; brother, Ken (Sandy) Howell, MI; sister, Ginny (Dick) Cartwright, Pine City, WI; and many nieces and nephews. Proceeded in death by father, Ray Zahn; mother, Marie Anderson and step-father, Reuben Anderson.

"I look forward to seeing many, if not all, of you again in the MORNING in GLORY!"