Travis A. Van Zoest

Travis Van Zoest

Sgt. Travis A. Van Zoest, 21, Bismarck, died June 6, 2006, in Afghanistan, surrounded by his fellow brothers of the 188th ADA. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at Corpus Christi Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Paul Becker officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, with full military honors.

Visitation will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Friday at Bismarck Funeral Home, where sharing will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. A prayer vigil will follow at 7 p.m.

Sgt. Travis Van Zoest was born Jan. 31, 1985, in Madison, Wis. He moved to Bismarck in 1997. He attended Hughes Elementary and graduated from Century High School in 2003.

Travis joined the N.D. National Guard in February 2002. His biggest reason for joining the guards was to serve his country because he was an American and also so his brothers and the young men could live a free life. He attended basic training in Fort Knox, Ky., in summer 2002, and AIT in summer 2003 at Fort Bliss, Texas. He attended Bismarck State College and Minot State University in business management and info systems until his deployment in 2005. Travis worked at Menards through his high school years, after graduating he worked at Coventry Health Care. Travis received an internship from MDU resources in 2005, and worked in the computer services group until his deployment in 2005.

Travis enjoyed each day in his life and had a smile that would brighten each and every day. He loved people and tried to achieve all his goals to the fullest of his ability. He was proud to serve in the N.D. National Guard and proud to be serving his country.

He also enjoyed hunting pheasants with his stepfather and uncles. He went on a big game hunt with his grandpa Haney in November 2005, he also loved sports every Sunday. His friends and family gathered for Sunday football, that was a given. In the morning before work or during lunch you could always find him watching ESPN Sport Center.

Travis and Keisia spent two and a half wonderful years together, Travis was planning on getting engaged to Keisia in November 2006, and planning to be married in September 2008. Travis dearly loved his family, fiancee and friends. He will be deeply missed by his parents, brothers, fiancee, family, friends and also by his guard family currently serving in Afghanistan.

He is survived by his mother, Sheila Richter and stepfather, Terry; his father, Ben Van Zoest and stepmother, Deborah; his brothers, Derrick, 17, Tyler, 9, and Josh, 20; his fiancee, Keisa Austin, Bismarck; his grandparents, Cliff and Sue Haney, Evansville, Wis., Ben and Maria Van Zoest, Sun Pairie, Wis., and Clint and Yvonne Richter, Bismarck; his step-grandparents, Roger and Florine La Flash; six aunts; five uncles; many cousins; and some many close great-aunts, great-uncles and great-cousins. Also the family of Keisa Austin.

He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Sandra Haney; Aunt Peggy Richter; and dog, Hunter.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be made to any Wells Fargo Bank, Travis Van Zoest Memorial Fund, which will be donated to the make a wish foundation to send someone to a Dallas Cowboy football game, which has been one of Travis' dreams and he wanted to fulfill when he came home from his deployment. Also a scholarship fund has been set up at Bank Center First, both are set up under Travis Van Zoest.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the remaining members of the 188th ADA still serving in Afghanistan.