Curtis S. Zahrt

Curtis Shane Zahrt died July 1, 2013 surrounded by his wife and son in his home, under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Curtis was born October 31, 1956 in Spencer, IA to Darwin and Ann (Lauritsen) Zahrt. After graduating from Spencer High, he enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa, where he graduated in 1980 with a BS in Marketing. Shortly after graduating, he began working for grocery wholesaler Nash Finch Company, but while he was busy learning the ropes at his new company, another milestone took place. A young brunette cashier at a grocery store in Muscatine, IA caught his eye. Curtis must have played his cards right, because he was married to Barbara (Baillie) Zahrt on November 24, 1984. Their son, Shane, was born August 30, 1986. Their daughter, Abby Jo, was born February 22, 1992.

Curtis’ professional career was spent at two grocery companies. While working for Nash Finch Company, he had management stints at grocery stores in Decorah, Belle Plaine and Muscatine, IA. In 1987, Curtis accepted a promotion to Grocery Buyer at the Nash Finch Distribution Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. Two years later Curtis was promoted to Merchandise Manager at the Nash Finch corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, MN. Curtis was promoted to Head Buyer in 1988 at Nash Finch’s Lincoln, NE distribution center. In 1991, Curtis became the Division Manager of the Lincoln operation. This was followed by successful stints as Division Manager in Omaha, NE and Fargo/Minot, ND. In 2010, Curtis left Nash Finch to accept a position with Hugo’s Supermarkets. He served as Chief Operating Officer for Hugo’s until his death.
Curtis was beloved and admired by Nash Finch’s grocery store owners, Nash Finch employees and Hugo’s associates. Their respect and admiration for Curtis was manifested in 2006 when he was awarded the North Dakota Spirit of America Award. Curtis worked hard to better himself throughout his life. In 2001, he decided to further his education by enrolling at the University of Mary, where he added a BS in Management in 2002, a Masters of Management in 2004 and a Masters of Business Administration in 2008.

Curtis had many hobbies, but his favorite activity was spoiling the people that he cared about. He loved captaining his pontoon around the lake and traveling with Barb. They traveled to destinations near and far, including Mexico, Vancouver, New York, the Bahamas, and everywhere in between. Curtis frequently returned to Iowa to spend time with family. Barb didn’t share his love for talk radio news, but given the number of hours they spent traveling by car, she learned to happily tolerate it. Curtis also loved spending time on the golf course, where he was undefeated against his son. He enjoyed experimenting with new recipes in his kitchen, was an avid reader, and enjoyed attending all sporting events (except for basketball, which he would only watch if his son made him!). He remained a proud UNI Panther his entire life, and was frequently even brave enough to don his Purple and Gold around Fargo, the heart of Bison country.
Preceding him in death were his daughter, Abby Jo Zahrt; mother Ann Zahrt; and niece, Katie Huffman.

Left to celebrate and cherish his memory are his wife, Barbara Zahrt of Fargo; his son, Shane Zahrt of Fargo; his four siblings and their spouses: Craig Zahrt of Spirit Lake, IA, Lynn and Mike Huffman of Spencer, IA, Clark and Jolene Zahrt of Spencer, IA, and Cory and Misty Zahrt of Adel, IA, as well as many nieces and nephews, and countless other beloved friends and relatives.

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Hospice of the Red River Valley or Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.