Zona Metzger
Zona May (Jones) Metzger slipped into heavenly arms peacefully in her sleep on May 25, 2020.
Zona was born on Oct. 15, 1941 to Margaret and Don Jones and raised in Stickney, SD. She often told stories of her wonderful childhood and parents. She was an only child but made friends easily and enjoyed getting together with friends and family very much.
On April 12, 1976 she married Thomas L. Metzger and they eventually made their home in Fargo, ND as well as a home on Turtle Lake, near Cormorant Village in Minnesota.
Zona was an active member of the Moose Lodge since 1978 and the American Legion Auxiliary. She achieved a Star Recorder Degree with the Moose and was President of the Woman’s Auxiliary as well as Senior Regent.
Zona worked at Fargo Laundry, Libby’s, and then Fargo North High for several years until retiring full time to Turtle Lake. She had many great years there and greatly enjoyed the friends, neighbors and family that visited her there.
Zona was a strong spirit and was comfortable being so. You always knew where you stood with her as she said honestly what she felt. She had a great sense of fun and will be greatly missed.
She is survived by her brother-in-law Ray Metzger and his wife Deliska in Vallejo, CA; Cousin Jim Harrison and his wife Faye who reside in Moorhead, MN ; Sister-in law Bev Grebner in Bismarck, ND and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Tommy who passed away on November 27, 2003 and her parents.
She will be buried next to Tommy in Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Mitchell, SD.
A celebration of life service will be held June 5, 2020 at 3:00 at Boulger Funeral Home. Visitation will be one-hour prior.
Zona would appreciate any memorials to go to the Roger Maris Cancer Center.
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Zona will be sorely missed. Being on turtle lake this weekend we missed seeing you. God bless you Zona. You were loved by many! You had a wonderful spirit and may your journey home be pain free now. ❤️
You will be missed Zona. I always enjoyed spending time with you at Turtle Lake❤️
I had so many laughs with Zona! It was never a dull moment. RIP dear friend! Going to miss seeing you on Turtle Lake
Sherri
Zona, I miss you and selfishly wish you were still here. But I know you are in a much better place with no more pain. You are finally with Tommy again. You have talked about him many times. You loved him and missed him very much. I hope the two of you are dancing on the You were one of a kind, lady! We will never forget Zona on Turtle Lake.❤️
Zona, We will miss seeing you drive by on your golf cart, with your little dog next to you. Also being with you at the Turtle Lake Ladies breakfasts. God bless you. Dean and Jeanette Guttormson
Thanks for the memories, Zona!
Royce and Karen Hartke
Zona, I know you will be sorely missed on Turtle Lake. You and Mom and Delphia made quite the fun group of ladies. Never a dull moment. I am certain the 3 of you are hashing things over as I write this. On to a better place, rest in peace Zona. I will miss our phone visits.
Barbara & Del Melroe
Rapid City SD.
Dear Zona, as all of us think about your passing we search for words to describe you. We search through our memories and settle on a moment of time or words that you have spoken. For me it will always be your wit and your laughter. You had a way of lighting up a room and setting us all straight on the ways of the world. You are now with Tommie and so many of the Turtle Lake crew who have gone before us, and who now keep an eye on those of us left behind. You may be gone but you certainly will never be forgotten. Rest in peace my friend.
Prologue
I wrote this obit/eulogy for my friend Zona. It’s was the only way I could tell Zona’s story the way I think she would have wanted it said to personal friends and family that really knew her, and say goodbye properly my way…I knew Zona for some 40+ years
So here is a little background before I start.
Zona had an Aunt named Nona, whom I got to meet. She had married a well to do man, they had no children, and they owned two casinos in Las Vegas. And so before she died she wrote her own obit, and called herself a “Card Technician”. Tom and Zona laughed over that obit for years.
So Before Zona’s husband, Tommy died of cancer, he came to me and asked me to eulogize him, and of course I said yes. But then he said, …but no tears, I want you to make them laugh! So I hope I did right by him. Zona loved it, and everyone did laugh, so I hope I did ok.
So after Tommy died, Zona wanted to have her obit comical and endearing like Aunt Nona, and we spoke about it several times.
So now when she passed, and i asked if I could eulogize her, I was told, No, there will be no speeches. …and I know Zona would have wanted me to eulogize her. So here is my version of what Zona would have said about herself, (In First person) if she would have written her own obit/ eulogy.
With love, humor, respect and with great memories… I bid you farewell my dear friend.
Heidi Johnson
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In first person…
Zona May Metzger
Well ….. it pains me to admit it, but apparently I passed away on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020. Doctors told me it would happen one day soon, but that’s simply not something I wanted to hear, much less be there where when it happened. But once again, I didn’t get my way, and that’s been the story much of my life…
I was born in Stickney SD on October 15, 1941, to Margaret and Don Jones. I was given the title, the “favorite child” which made me so proud, until I found out I was an only child. …which was pretty sneaky. But seriously I had the most wonderful folks, they spoiled me so much, and I loved them both to the Moon and back!
So many things happened in my life that seemed so insignificant at the time, they happened, but have since taken on greater importance as I got older. The memories I am taking with me now are so meaningful and so precious and have more value than all my worldly possessions.
Memories, where do I begin?….
First of all, I like beer. God must like beer too, or he wouldn’t have put it here for my pleasure!
I met Thomas Metzger in SD and chased him up to Fargo and threw a Lasso around him and married him on April 12, 1976.
I worked at Fargo Laundry, Libby’s , Fargo North High (I loved those kids!) But found my calling as a bartender at the Fargo Moose Lodge for a few years. I was sweet and innocent until I became a bartender. It was then I learned to cuss with the big boys and take no crap!… and that my friends… made life a blast!
I loved movies, music, dancing, concerts, Karaoke, Bingo, pull tabs, scratch offs, the Casinos, all sports but favorite …the MN Vikings and I loved house parties, plus all my friends..
There was a young gal in her 20s, at the Moose Lodge that I became really fond of named Pam Stach, and since I had no children, we bonded, and one day she asked if she could call me mom, and I was honored. I loved her like she was my own until she died young from a aneurysm after a car accident. Which broke my heart.
In the late 1980s I bought a little cabin on Turtle Lake, by Hawley, MN. I had many friends down on Turtle Lake. We had a blast down there,pontooning, fishing, I had a little pedal boat and an air mattress and with an ice cold beer in hand, and it was heaven on earth. I had a very artistic and close friend who decorated our pontoon and pedal boat as giant Turtles one year and entered the boat parade, and I won Ist place trophy that year. We loved the boat parades, and Christmas in July, decorating all the big pine trees we use to have in the yard. Lots of food, drinks and parties with great friends, neighbors and family! Life was but a dream!
My friend Heidi and I dressed up like nuns one year and bar hopped all the way down Broadway in Fargo.
Heidi also asked me to be on her water fight team during Water Carnival in Detroit Lakes one year with fire hoses. Boy was that an experience, but so much fun. I had the title of Little Drip.”
If there was some silly fun or a little bit of trouble to be found, I usually got talked into it, or instigated it! Life was good!
Then my husband got cancer. Tommy died at home on Thanksgiving Nov 27, 2003.
So now it’s truth telling time … I was world renown for my lack of patience , not holding back my tongue or opinion and a knack of telling it like it is, no matter who it was directed to or who was offended, and some things were probably better off left unsaid, but eventually I would have a couple beers and say them anyways. I always tried to tell the truth, (but then again nobody is perfect). But if you know me, you knew me, infarct I never planned to say anything before hand, cause I liked to be just as surprised as everyone else, what would come out. But I hope in the end , you didn’t take it personally.
(Come to think of it…this might be a good time to mend some fences… but… nope….. too late now… No questions will be answered either at this time. )
But please know…. I loved each and every friend in my life as well as family members. One in particular was a niece, Mona Metzger from Denver. She brought so much joy and laughter into my life, whenever I could get her up here for a visit.
I would also like to thank my friends on Turtle Lake who helped in every possible way that they could in the last years of my life when I got diagnosed with cancer, I will never forget your kindness and generosity.
I would like to Thank Roger Maris, Sanfords, The Mayo Clinic, the nursing home facilities I stayed at, Riverside Assisted Living. All the doctors, nurses, and staff that cared for me me during this cancer ordeal . I am truly grateful for your professionalism, your compassion, your knowledge, the care you provided and your mission to help find a cure for this terrible disease.
Then last, but not least my very special friend Roger Olson, who helped me through this terrible ordeal, got me to Mayo. You took care of everything for me and stayed up at hospital and nursing home for hours and days on end, even when I was grumpy, ugly and impossible! You took care of me like you were my own son, if I had had one.. Thank you my dear friend. I will always be grateful to you and I will always hold you close to my heart , (and also your wife, Rachel who passed away from complications of cancer as well.)
So now my friends, I hope next time your cracking open a beer, or looking at a beautiful sunset on Turtle Lake or see a little hummingbird, you will remember me with laughter and smiles, for that’s how I will remember you..
But right now… it’s time to bid farewell, until we meet again. And I am So happy! I got my wings (Thank God!) and my arms are once again around Tommy and we are drinking a Bud Lite and dancing in the clouds above you,
to the the song….
Can I have this Dance for the Rest of my Life. ——-
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Zona is survived by her dog Knute, a cousin – Jim Harrison , sister-in-law Beverly Grebner, Brother in law Ray (Deliska) Metzger, and many nieces and nephews, plus all her wonderful friends and neighbors who have loved her and supported her and even antagonized her at times over the years. We all loved you Zona May and we will miss you!
Zona is preceded in death by her husband Thomas Metzger and her parents Margaret and Don Jones. Brother in law Bob Grebner, sister-in-law law Carolyn Metzger, sister in law Helen Metzger. 2 dogs, Sam and Mikie.