JOHN LORENZ, 95, of Dodge, ND, died Saturday, October 22, 2016, due to a motor vehicle accident.

John was born on April 25, 1921, south of Dodge, ND to Fred and Magdalena (Fischer) Lorenz. At age 15, John stared working for the CCC and was employed at the Dodge and Golden Valley Parks. On October 15, 1942, he enlisted in the Navy and left for Great Lakes, Illinois. After completing boot camp training, John had duty on a destroyer, USS Beale 471, serving in the Atlantic first, and went through the Panama Canal where he then served in the Pacific. John then put in for shore duty and served in Hawaii for one year as a motor machinist and acting boatman, picking up officers from ship to shore and back to ship. After three years of being away from home, there was an opening for deep sea diving school, Pier 88, in New York. John applied and was accepted, graduating to the depth of 150 feet.

After his discharge from the Navy, he dated Alice Wittmayer, a school teacher from Hazen, ND. They were married on May 16, 1952, and started farming. In 1954, their first daughter, Brenda Sue, was born, followed by three more happy occasions, Linnea Lynette, Tammy Kay and Darren John.

In the spring of 1954, John was employed at the Garrison Dam as a carpenter and also the Minot Air Base. The family returned to Dodge, ND, in 1957, Alice working as a teacher and John as a carpenter for Wetch Construction, doing work on the parsonage of the Catholic Church in Halliday. In 1960, they moved to the Fred Smith farm and farmed until 2001, when they retired. After retirement, John was a pilot driver for M&K Welding and Challenger Industries, delivering parts to four different states. The couple moved to Dickinson in 2005.

Johns is survived by his wife of 64 years, Alice of Dickinson; his children, Brenda (Richard) Zarr of Center, ND, Linnea Lorenz of Killdeer, ND, Tammy Lorenz of Dickinson, and Darren (Janet) Lorenz of Dodge; five grandchildren, Scott (Lisa) Zarr of Boston, MA, Casey (Alison) Zarr of Mandan, Jesse Zarr of Center, Jayme Lorenz of Dodge and Nichole Lorenz of Dodge; two great-grandchildren, Gracie and Katie; three sisters, Kate Bauer of Bismarck, Lydia (Ron) Bollinger-Sprague of Phoenix, AZ, Edna Persling of Idaho; two brothers, Ervin (Mabel) Lorenz of Dodge, Herbert (Delores) Lorenz of Orangevale, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; four sisters, Anna Simpfenderfer, Tillie Brinkman, Rose Keller and Emma Smith; one brother, Albert Lorenz.

Barbot Funeral Homes, Beulah and Hazen.