The Graveside service will take place on Monday, June 6, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Butte Community Cemetery.
A livestream will be available by accessing https://www.facebook.com/ibcminot
To view the flowers from Fern’s service, click here: Fern Zavalney Flowers
Fern Zavalney, 90, longtime Butte area farmer and resident, died Wednesday, December 22, 2021 in a Velva Nursing Care Center.
Fern was born on July 22, 1931 at Harvey, ND, the daughter of Edward and Mabel (Simbalenko) Yecoshenko (a birthday present for her father). She was raised on the family farm near Kief and assisted her father with the operation of the Yecoshenko family farm during her schooling years. The family moved to Minot where she completed her high school education at Minot High School in 1948. She continued her education and received a degree from Minot Business College.
Fern worked for a short time at Gaffney’s in Minot prior to her marriage to Ralph Zavalney on November 23, 1952 in Minot. They made their home on the Zavalney Family Farmstead near Butte. In addition to raising their three boys, she always assisted with the operation of the farm, feeling right at home driving the farm equipment, doing the bookkeeping, gardening, yardwork, cooking along with maintaining a tidy home. In addition, she cared for the day-to-day duties in directing the operations of the farmstead that even included shingling or the painting of buildings. Ralph died on December 20, 2010. She continued to live on the farm until moving to Somerset Court in Minot and then at Souris Valley Care Center in Velva.
Fern and Ralph were members of the Butte Assembly of God Church and later attended the Kief Baptist Church. She enjoyed knitting, quilting, ceramics, doing arts and crafts during the winter months along playing and beating everyone at her favorite game of Rummy.
Her loving family includes: children: Brent (Debi) Zavalney, Munich, ND, Bruce (Teri) Zavalney, Yakima, WA and Boyd (Lori) Zavalney, Minot; 4 grandchildren to include, Beth (Adam) Nigon, Adam (Emma) Zavalney, Brock and Mandi Zavalney; 4 great grandchildren to include, Claire and Warren Nigon and Alyona and Sebastian Zavalney.
Fern was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 58 years, Ralph; and her 3 siblings: Darlene Wonnenberg, Lou Semmen and Laurel Yecoshenko.
Celebration of Life service: Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. in Immanuel Baptist Church, Minot. A livestream will be available by accessing https://www.facebook.com/ibcminot
Visitation: Monday, December 27th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot.
Interment: Monday, June 6, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Butte Community Cemetery.
Memorials: are preferred to the Butte Cemetery.
