This was the home of Ralph “Oscar” Zachman and his wife Mary Anne. According to real estate records, the house was built in 1965. He lived here until his death on March 11, 2009 at the age of 80. The home is still owned by the family. His obituary contained many interesting details about his life in Bemidji.
Ralph joined the US Navy out of high school near the end of World War II, and served as FC2 onboard the destroyer USS Kenneth D. Bailey (DD-713) and Essex-Class aircraft carrier USS Boxer (CV-21) over the course of the Korean War. While in the Navy, Ralph experienced a personal audience with Pope Pius XII, played on the Navy South Seas basketball team, and survived a catastrophic ship-wide hangar fire that the USS Boxer sustained during combat operations.
Honorably discharged from the Navy, Ralph wed Mary Anne Zapf at St. Mary Cathedral on June 27, 1953 in St. Cloud, MN. Ralph began his career working for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company as a lineman, eventually working his way into management. Turning down a promotion that would have moved him to a large metropolitan city, Ralph and his wife chose family values and the life a small town offers over monetary concerns to raise their family of 8 children and made their home in Bemidji. Over his career of 36 years, he watched as Northwestern Bell split into AT&T. Shortly thereafter, Ralph retired early from his supervisor position.
He successfully ran a campaign for Bemidji City Council in 1982 and served the people from Ward 1 for more than 20 years. Ralph was instrumental in many public works while in office. He took satisfaction with his role in the success of the Bemidji Airport Planning Commission, the New Public Library, Water Treatment Plant, and the annual Bemidji City of Lights Christmas display (Ralph’s ‘Blue Light’ pine tree was a tree he sponsored every Christmas). He was especially proud of the enhanced safety provided Bemidji residents by the “Alley Lights” program that placed lights in all of the alleys city-wide.
Ralph was a member of the Bemidji Rotary Club (serving as president in 84/85), was an active member of the American Legion, and VFW, and was a member of the League of Minnesota Cities and Greater Minnesota Cities boards.
Ralph enjoyed watching his kids play sports and continued being involved in his grandkids’ sporting events. He particularly loved watching hockey and was known as a “Hockey Grandpa”. Neighborhood kids would often stop by and talk with him while he was working in the yard, where he’d assign them nicknames and invent games for them to play.
After his morning workout at BSU, Ralph enjoyed meeting with friends at Hardee’s for coffee. Well-known for his humor, he often would share a joke or wry observation with friends and strangers alike.
He took pride in his yard, his city, and his country, and proudly displayed the American flag. He loved woodworking and became an expert in restoring antique furniture. Summers were enjoyed sitting “out back” in his yard with Mary Anne while they listened to the Twins. He had a reputation for being a master at grilling.
Ralph had a keen appreciation of Nature (except perhaps for squirrels) and shared his love of it with his kids during outings to their “Lake Lot”. He took pleasure in hunting deer and partridge and relaxed on the lake while fishing. He also delighted in putting up his ever-growing Christmas lights display each year.