Carina Fontelera Ziniel, 78, died March 9, 2024, in Valley City, ND.  Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, at Lerud Mathias Funeral Home, Valley City, with Pastor Nathan Skaife officiating.  Burial will be in Valley City’s Woodbine Cemetery.  Visitation will be an hour before the funeral from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Lerud Mathias Funeral Home.  The service will be live streamed, then archived, on a link provided along with her obituary on her tribute page at www.lerudmathias.com.  An online guestbook is available there as well.

Carina was born Carina Fontillas Fontelera on April 11, 1945, in San Narciso, Zambales, Philippines.   She was the daughter of Simeon Fontelera and Cristina Fontillas.  She grew up and attended school in San Narciso and worked as a housekeeper at a number of places including Subic Bay naval base where she met her first husband, Dennis Ziniel.  They moved to the United States, first to Phoenix, Arizona and then settling on a small farm near Mandan, North Dakota a few years later.  She finished her General Education Diploma in Mandan while she worked on the farm and raised her sons. 

Carina married her second husband, Doug Zahn, on July 7, 2006.  

Carina was a devout Seventh Day Adventist.  She enjoyed going to church and helping others.  She was a constant source of support to her family, helping relatives who still lived in the Philippines, including paying for the education of her nieces and nephew.  

She is survived by three sons and one daughter-in-law, Dennis Ziniel Jr., Valley City, Curtis Ziniel and Ria Cheyne, Liverpool, and Chris Ziniel, Chicago; 5 grandchildren, Aurora Ziniel, Minneapolis, Kyle Ziniel, Valley City, Zoey Ziniel, Valley City, Michael Ziniel, Liverpool, and Ethan Ziniel, Liverpool.  

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Doug, who died July 3rd, 2011; her sisters Iluminada and Neda; and her brothers Juanito and Leopoldo.