Arnold "Shorty" Marvin Luitjens

Ashton, IA Arnold Shorty Luitjens, age 89 of Ashton, IA died Friday, March 5, 2010 at the Country View Manor in Sibley. Funeral service will be 2:00 PM Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church in Ashton, with Reverend Dale Lint officiating. Burial will follow in the Gilman Township Cemetery of Ashton. Visitation will be Monday, March 8th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present from 7:00 to 8:00 PM at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Ashton. Arnold Shorty Marvin Luitjens was born on November 10, 1920, the son of Teedus and Grace (Hassebroek) Luitjens on a farm near Ashton, IA. He attended country school for a time and later graduated from Ashton High School in 1938. On April 6, 1945, he was united in marriage to Maggie Kruger at her parents home. After ten years on a neighboring farm they moved onto Shortys parents farm and took over their dairy business. He was born and He lived his whole life in the same section. He showed his dairy cattle every year at the Clay County Fair for sixty-four years and in 2000 was awarded the honor of being entered in the Hall of Fame of Iowa Fairs. Another proud moment of his was when his farm became a Century Farm in 1991. Shorty served as a 4-H leader for twenty-five years. He loved to attend Brown Swiss sales and meetings. He was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church in Ashton. Shorty, Maggie and family looked forward to visiting their friends every year on the 4th of July in Spirit Lake, IA. They also appreciated going for rides with Marlyn and Bev and occasionally eating out with them. Shorty especially loved playing games with his grandchildren until his eye sight started to deteriorate. He also enjoyed telling about the pony he had as a child and how he used to ride it to school. Arnold is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Maggie Luitjens of Ashton; two sons, Larry (wife, Eileen) Luitjens and Leslie (wife, Norma) Luitjens both of Ashton; four grandchildren, Stacy Cramer of Duncan, OK, Eric (wife, Amanda) Luitjens of Burt, IA, and Loren and Lora Luitjens both of Ashton; one great granddaughter, Grace Luitjens. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Raymond and sister-in-law, Reka Luitjens; and one sister, Alice and brother-in-law, Norman Flink; and one nephew, Marlyn Luitjens.