Arnold H. Marzolf, 81, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Modern Languages at NDSU, died Monday, January 26th, 1998.

A funeral service will be conducted on Friday, January 30, 1998, 10:30 A.M. in the Plymouth Congregation United Church of Christ, 9th Avenue North at Broadway in Fargo. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 PM Thursday with a prayer service at 7 PM at Hanson-Runsvold, Fargo, and for one hour before services at the church. Burial: Argusville Cemetery, Argusville, ND.

For three years (1959-1963), Marzolf taught English and German at the North Dakota School of Foresty in Bottineau. He spent one year at Michigan Technological University teaching public speaking and German. In 1966, he became a teacher of German at NDSU and retired in 1982, having been designated as Professor Emeritus by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

In addition to being a teacher, Prof. Marzolf was also an ordained minister, first of the German Evangelical Church and then of the United Church of Christ. At his first church at Lehr, ND, beginning in 1941, he worked among German-Russians where most worship services were conducted in the German language, and where in 1942 he had the largest Confirmation Class in the state, consisting of 72 students (of which 52 were confirmed). On June 13, 1991 he was honored at the Lehr Tabernacle on the occasion of his 50th year in the ministry.

Prof. Marzolf, before turning to full-time teaching, also served churches in Bismarck, ND; Cedar Rapids, IA; Columbus and Jersey, OH. While teaching at NDSU, he served churches in Argusville and Gardner, served as Interim Pastor of seven churches, served two brief sessions as Acting Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ, 12 years as Representative of the United Church of Christ to the North Dakota Council of Churches, served as a supply pastor, and was the author of six Biblical Portraits which he presented in biblical costumes and in first person in many churches over a period of twenty-two years.

Marzolf was a founding and active member of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society, which organization he served as a Board Member for 20 years, served as chairman of the Publications Committee for 12 years, contributed many original and/or translated articles for the Heritage Review, received the Joseph S. Height Award for Literature, led the GRHS Annual Conventions in their Sing-A-Longs in German and English and published five books such as Prairie Poems (1974), Let's Talk German Russian, Second and Enlarged Edition (1991), and That's the Way It Once Was (1995). He was also a member of the Red River Chapter of the GRHS in Fargo and served as its president for two terms.

While pastoring a church in Bismarck beginning in 1947, Marzolf also served as Chaplain of the Evangelical Hospital; (now MedCenter One), served as Chaplain of the State Senate for two sessions, and represented the North Dakota Council of Churches at the World Conference of Christian Youth in Oslo, Norway. He then served as Director of Public Relations of Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa.

Prof. Marzolf was born on a farm near Anamoose, ND on July 30, 1916. He attended high school at Drake, received his academic degrees from Westmar College, LeMars, IA, from the Evangelical Theological Seminary, Naperville, IL, and from North Dakota State University in Forgo.

Marzolf lived an interesting and active life in the teaching and preaching ministry of Christ, and remained reasonably healthy, always being thankful for the privilege of serving God and his fellow human beings until the time of his death.

Marzolf was preceded in death by his parents, Heinrich and Florentina (Priester) Marzolf, three brothers and five sisters. He is survived by two daughters, Prof. Elizabeth Ann Chun, Inver Grove Heights, MN, and Dr. Mary Ann Garfield, Pittsburgh, PA; by four sisters: Violet Trihub, Anchorage, AK, Mrs. Art (Emma) Vix, Minot, ND; Mrs. Ray (Laville) Stip, Minot, and Mrs. Ed (Neoma) Hampton, Cushing, OK; and two grandchildren, Ethan and Heidi Chun, Inver Grove Heights.

The family requests no flowers at the funeral. If memorials are offered, they will be given to the Salvation Army of Fargo.

Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Fargo, North Dakota