Marit Zaun, age 85, of Valley City, ND, died, Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at the Sheyenne Care Center under Hospice Care, surrounded by her loving family. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, March 29th at Trinity Lutheran Church in Valley City. Visitation will be held on Monday from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church and one hour before the service on Tuesday morning. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 PM Monday evening at the church. Interment will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery near Valley City.

Marit Osa Friestad was born May 9, 1930 on a farm near Valley City, ND to Gabriel (Gilbert) and Olga Friestad. She attended Noltimier Township School, graduating in 1948. She was proud to be on the Girls Basketball Team that took State Championship in 1948. She carried her competitive nature watching her children and grandchildren play sports! She met Lloyd Zaun at a school dance and they married June 27, 1948 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Valley City. They lived and farmed near Valley City until 1957, then moved to Buffalo where they continued to farm. They raised 5 children. In 1967, they brought into their home 3 of her brothers children. She was an active member of Buffalo Lutheran Church in Buffalo, and later at Trinity Lutheran Church in Valley City. She belonged to Homemakers Club in Buffalo and Birthday Club in Valley City. She was a busy wife and mom and very hard worker. When the kids were older she worked part-time in the restaurant business. Cooking and baking was her passion. It brought her joy to share it with her friends and family. In 1993, they retired and moved to Valley City. Lloyd passed away February 2008. Marit moved to Bridgeview Estates in 2011 and into Sheyenne Care Center in 2014.

Survivors are: Larry (Penny), Buffalo, ND, Dale (Cyndy), Fingal, ND, Kathy (Bruce) Anderson, Valley City, ND, Mark (Eileen), New Town, ND, Jeff (Jill), Buffalo, ND, Scott (Joyce) Friestad, Dayton, NV, Lynelle (Larry) Osgood, Minneapolis, MN, and Carole Steidl, West Fargo, ND. She had 12 grandchildren and 11 Friestad grandchildren. She had 25 great grandchildren and 15 Friestad great grandchildren, a sister Fran (Andy) Aune, Valley City, ND and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, brother Odd Friestad, sisters Carrie Breske, her twin sister, Irene Shanenko, and Hazel Swan.