Violet Zearley

Violet Zearley, 96 of Mandan, passed away peacefully on April 18, 2025, at Edgewood Assisted Living Community in Mandan.

Funeral Service will take place on Friday, August 15, 2025, at 11:00 AM at American Lutheran Church, 1101 10th St SE, Mandan, ND 58554. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service at the church. A luncheon will follow the funeral service at the Mandan Eagles Club. Graveside service will be at Parkin Cemetery at 3:00 PM following the luncheon.

Violet Hazel Thorp was born on May 16, 1928 at Gettysburg, SD, daughter of Anna [Dahl] and Henry Thorp. Violet attended 1st grade in Gettysburg, the next two grades in Steele, ND and then the family settled in Windom, MN. She often talked about ice skating, babysitting and held fond memories of that time. When she was in her junior year of high school, the family moved back to North Dakota. She stayed, continuing to work for neighbor and to finish out the school year. Then in June of 1946, they took her to Minneapolis to make the scary journey alone by train to Mandan.

Violet’s family had been staying at Uncle Ingolf’s and his friend came to visit, a young man newly returned from WWII, as he studied a family picture, he pointed to Violet and said, “I’m going to marry that one!” In February of 1947, Violet became Mrs. Miner Zearley.

The young pair living in a homemade camper, in the river bottoms near Huff, tried to prove up a claim; but gave up that idea after a season of mosquitoes and sandy garden soil.

Violet and Miner made their home on the farm, west of Fort Rice until 1960. They moved, first to Bismarck and then in 1962, settled in the “original ferry house” in Mandan. It was a home large enough for a family of six children, and all the visitors for 43 years. Everyone was welcomed!

That first year in Bismarck, Violet worked at a Bismarck newspaper. Then after her youngest was born, she had an opportunity for an interview with Jake Geiss, Morton County Treasurer, and her career was born. In 1963 she was required to write official papers with a stick pen – not a ball point, not a fountain pen but an old fashioned stick pen with a changeable tip, the kind that was dipped into an ink well. By the time she retired in 1990, after 27 years, the office was equipped with computers.

Violet and Miner traveled to many family reunions in numerous States around the country. Flower gardens, card parties, puzzles, and reading were other loved hobbies of hers.

After Miner died in 2004, Violet, who had lived surrounded by seven siblings and then by her husband and children, found herself alone for the first time in her life. She hated the experience and wasted little time deciding to move to Liberty Heights. For 12 years she was busy with family, friends, her weekly and monthly groups filled with games, visits, and laughter; and Sunday morning church.

2017 came and she realized, she needed a bit more assistance and moved to Edgewood in Mandan. Continuing to do all her favorite things.

Violet is survived by one son, Cliff [Tammy] Mandan; two daughters, Sharon Johnson Flasher, and Marcie [Tom] White Mandan; daughter-in-law Janice [Zearley] and her husband Tom Haggert Detroit Lakes MN. 15 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren. One sister Berneice Doerr Bismarck and two sister-in-law Gisela Thorp Germany, Pat Thorp Bismarck. She is preceded in death by her husband Miner, her parents, 3 sons Curt, Doug, and Jeff; daughter-in-law Linda; granddaughter Lana Johnson and grandson Tucker Bruington. 3 sisters and 3 brothers-in-law, Pearl Olson; Lila and Harold Parkin; Joyce and Hugh Boyle; and Mel Doerr. Three brothers and one sister –in-law, Art and Irene; Kenny; and Vernon.