Garth Lahren

Garth Arnold Lahren was born in Fargo, ND in 1969. After being adopted by the Arnold and Hazel Lahren family at 3 months old, he grew up in Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota. He graduated from Mandan High School in 1988 where he enjoyed cross-country, basketball, and choir. After high school, he reconnected with his Native American heritage at Spirit Lake Nation. He later moved to Santa Fe, NM to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts where he earned an Associate in Arts Degree in creative writing in 1993. He made his home there because he loved the area, and he especially loved the people. He passed away at his home near Espanola, New Mexico at the age of 52. 

Garth was a man of many talents. He worked as an auto mechanic, a purchasing agent, a builder of sculpture bases, an art delivery driver, a bell captain, a commercial passenger driver, and wrote poetry. His favorite part of working was talking to people.

Garth was known for his incredibly sweet and gentle disposition, his cheerful grin, and for giving wonderful hugs. He loved to laugh and his smile would light up a room. It would even come through on phone calls. When he and his brother Mark were together, they told stories that made his family laugh until they’d cry. Favorites included surviving the frozen tundra of the 3rd floor of the Mandan house, cow decoys, and buying bait. Some people talk with their hands, but when he would tell a story, he would talk with his entire body, acting out the action.  

Garth was preceded in death by his father, Arnold (Arnie) Lahren, in 2005. Those immensely saddened by his passing include his mother, Hazel Burns; step-mother, Lynn Lahren; siblings Mark Lahren, Deanna (Jeff) Askew, and Julie (Bob Rademacher) Lahren; niece, Danni Askew (Vinnie Biskupic); nephews Luke Askew, Erik Rademacher, and Will Rademacher; and friends in New Mexico.

Many thanks to Garth’s friends in New Mexico, especially Scott Cox, for the help and comfort provided to the family through this difficult time. 

Celebrations of Garth’s life will be held later this winter in Bismarck and Santa Fe.