WILLMAR, MINN. - Friends and family gather Tuesday at First Reformed Church in Willmar for Fred Zwart's funeral.
The funeral procession began at First Reformed Church and ended at Fairview Cemetery. The procession was lead by his two main horses, Bill and Bud. The horses carried Zwart's casket on a horse-drawn wagon. Duwayne Combs and Gary Stai drove the horse team and wagon.
Zwart was driving a different horse-drawn wagon at the annual "Celebrate the Light of the World" outdoor light festival in rural Willmar Dec. 10 when the horses were spooked, ran down a highway, veered into a driveway, and crashed into a basketball pole. The roof of the wagon collapsed.
Zwart was taken to Rice Memorial Hospital and and later Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis the night of the crash. Zwart died Dec. 15 at Hennepin County Medical Center.
