Mary Lou Zorn

Mary Lou Zorn, 86, Phillips, found her peace on Friday, September 23, 2016, at the Aspirus Pleasant View Nursing Home, Phillips.
She was born on April 12, 1930, in Chicago, IL, the daughter of Paul A. and Florence M. (McVey) Young. She spent her early life and schooling in Chicago, graduating from the St. Louis Academy High School in 1948. She moved to Phillips in 1950 when her parents purchased the local bowling lanes. Paul’s Arcade was a social hub where a handsome cheesemaker from Catawba soon caught her eye and captured her heart.
She married Kenneth A. Zorn on February 3, 1951, at St. Patrick’s Church in Phillips.
She was employed at the Flambeau Milling Company, was the co-owner of Surety Abstract Company with her husband Ken, and was the co-owner of Second Time Around consignment shop with her sister-in-law Marion Young, all of Phillips.
Her main focus, however, was in the home, particularly on her children. She was their biggest fan. She encouraged them to expand their horizons and follow their dreams. She provided their families with comfort and support during times of need. She deeply loved her grandchildren and was eager to spend time with them. She found great joy in their adventures and exploits. Her home was a safe harbor for her friends and the friends of her loved ones in their times of need.
She had an adventurous spirit. She relished visits with her children and their families wherever they had settled from coast-to-coast. She loved to travel, especially to visit family and friends back in the Chicago area in earlier times and later to be on Florida’s Gulf Coast during the winter months. She equally relished visits from family and friends to Phillips, whether for snowmobiling weekends or for summer fun at the “Little Pink” trailer on Long Lake where she and Ken later built their empty-nest dream home. She had a penchant for providing a fun-loving spark for contagious laughter and lively antics. She had an archival memory of her family history that she gladly shared.
She was a member of St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church, Phillips. She was active in the local American Field Service chapter, welcoming 1968-69 foreign exchange student Elias Antonio Yunes from Brazil as another son and later mentoring other exchange students at Phillips High School.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years Ken, Phillips; by three sons: Daniel K. (Hazel) Zorn, Oklahoma City, OK, Thomas M. (Marcos Cruz) Zorn, San Francisco, CA, and James E. (Rebecca Campbell) Zorn, Ashland, WI; by four grandchildren: Paul (Jennifer), Graham (Erika), Philip (Brigette) and Rachel; by two great-grandchildren: Savannah Mary Lou and Zachary; by a sister: Caryl A. Young, Moline, IL; by her sisters-in-law Marion Young and Louise Zorn and special niece Mary Kay Young, all of Phillips; and by many cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, by her brother Thomas G. Young, and by step-brothers William and Homar Young.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church, Phillips, with Fr. Gerald Hagen officiating. Inurnment will be in St. Patrick Cemetery, Phillips. Friends may call at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service.
A memorial fund has been established.
The Heindl Funeral Home, Phillips, is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.heindlfuneralhome.com