Darrell Rathjen

HAZEN - Darrell (Shorty) Rathjen, 63, Hazen, died Oct. 7, 2010, in Dunn County. Services will be held at 10 a.m. MDT Tuesday, Oct. 12, at Peace Lutheran Church, Hazen, with Pastor Walt Wolff officiating. Burial will follow at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, rural Mandan.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Peace Lutheran Church, Hazen.

Darrell was the oldest of four children born to Rudolph and Selma (Weidrich) Rathjen, on May 12, 1947, in the Beulah Hospital. Darrell was raised and educated at rural Hazen, attending country school and finishing his education in Hazen. On Dec. 12, 1967, he entered the United States Army, and on July 16, 1969, was honorably discharged. He then moved back to Hazen. Shorty worked at United Power Association for a time and then joined the boilermakers where he worked for 30 plus years. Shorty married Judy Usselmann at Stanton, and they had two children, Julie and Danny Rathjen. Then in 1993, he married Barb Seil at Hazen, meshing two families together.

Shorty and Barb lived in Hazen and enjoyed camping, traveling, football, and just being out on the road. He was a member of the American Legion, Boilermakers Local 647 Union, ABATE member, HOG association, and Peace Lutheran Church. Shorty was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, rural Hazen.

He was survived by his wife, Barb, Hazen; his father, Rudy Rathjen, Hazen; his children, Julie (Ross) Lytle, Boardman, Ohio,  Danny (Karou) Rathjen, Lawton, Okla., Brian (Melinda) Seil, Velva, and Dana Seil, Hazen; six grandchildren, Whitney, Olivia, Jameson, Kai, James and Evelyn; and two sisters, Loretta Rebsom, Miles City, Mont., and Lovella (Milton) Wanner, Bismarck.

Shorty is preceded in death by his mother, Selma; one brother, Dale Rathjen; and one brother-in-law, Russ Rebsom. (Barbot-Seibel Funeral Homes, Beulah and Hazen)