Matthew John Zurn

Matthew John Zurn was born on December 22, 1989, in Kent, WA. He was the beloved son of Daniel and Susan (Preszler) Zurn and younger brother to Jason. In January 1995, the family moved to Horace, ND, where he spent his elementary and teen years. He grew from a happy-go-lucky child to a reserved and focused man.

He graduated from West Fargo High School in 2008 and continued his education at Bemidji State University, where he earned a BAS degree in Prototype Engineering in December 2011. Following 18 months of employment in Lake Zurich, IL, he returned home and pursued a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, graduating from North Dakota State University in May 2017. While a student, he was an intern at Titan Machinery working on farm planters and at Case New Holland working on wheel loader projects. After graduation, Matthew followed a Titan Machinery product line to Norwood Sales and continued to design farm implements for nine years until his death.

Throughout his life, Matthew enjoyed fishing and hunting pheasants with the family dog, a Brittany Spaniel named Maverick. He excelled in math and enjoyed games of strategy and logic. The banter on the boat, in the field, and around the family table was sharp, competitive, and witty. He was a talented engineer and enjoyed working with his hands. He was known for his precision, planning, and meticulous execution of projects. He worked alongside his dad and brother to build the family’s lake home on Lake Lida and recently took pride as a new homeowner. His other passion was his blue 2019 Corvette C7 Stingray, which he enjoyed driving daily.

Matthew died on September 6, 2026, after a fatal stroke on September 3. He was a candidate and prepared for organ donation, a rare and precious gift to many. After complications regarding the donation of major organs, he was able to be a tissue, skin, and cornea donor. He was a confirmed bachelor and never had children. While his life ended much too soon for his family, they believe his legacy will live on through these donor gifts and the many memories of him.

Matthew entered into Heaven, leaving behind his parents, Dan and Sue Zurn, brother, Jason Zurn, grandmother, Colleen Preszler, and several aunts, uncles, cousins and members of the Preszler and Zurn extended families.

He was reunited with his grandparents, Herman Preszler and Duane and Delores Zurn, and an uncle and aunt.

Our family is very pragmatic. Instead of flowers, please consider a purposeful memorial gift to benefit organ donation through LifeSouce (life-source.org), 2225 West River Road N, Minneapolis, MN 55411, or to Matthew’s final resting place, Zion Lutheran Church on Franklin Lake (ziononfranklinlake.org), 24876 Franklin Lake Road, Pelican Rapids, MN 56572.

Visitation: Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9:00 AM until 10:00 AM at West Funeral Home, West Fargo, ND.

Memorial Service: Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 10:00 AM at West Funeral Home, West Fargo, ND.

Interment: Private family burial at Zion Lutheran Cemetery on Franklin Lake in Pelican Rapids, MN at a later time.

West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center

Westfuneralhome.com