Arlene L Arends

Little Rock, Iowa Arlene L. Arends, age 82 of Little Rock, IA died Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at the Good Samaritan Center in George, IA. Funeral service will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, January 19th at First Baptist Church of George, IA, with Rev. Steve May and Rev. Dean Shelly officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, January 18th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home of George. Arlene Leona Arends was born March 18, 1930 to Helmer and Helen (Kruger) DeBerg in rural Osceola County, Iowa. As an infant she was lovingly given to her new parents Martin R. and Jenny (Kruger) Kruse and was raised as their own daughter on a farm northwest of George, where she also attended country school. On December 1, 1948 Arlene was united in marriage to George Arends. They lived northeast of George until 1960, and then moved to a farm near Little Rock, IA. She worked at Sibley Egg & Poultry from 1960 to 1976 after which she became a very devoted homemaker. She was a member of First Baptist Church of George, active with the Christian Hour Circle. She enjoyed watching Wheel of Fortune, garage sales, Search A Word, playing Wah Hoo, watching the birds at her window and camping with her sisters. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family and neighbors. She was a very good cook, famous for her moms Angel food cake and apple bars to name a few. On July 24, 1996 Arlenes husband, George died after 48 years of marriage. After his death she remained living on the family farm until November of 2012, when she entered the George Good Samaritan Society. She remained there until this past Tuesday, January 15, 2013 when she died at the age of 82. She is survived by two children, Mavis (husband Kenneth) Kanengieter and Jeff Arends, both of Little Rock, IA; three grandchildren, Kendall (wife Dena) Kanengieter, Amy Kanengieter and Jennifer (husband Erik) Stave; five great-grandchildren, Justin, Trenton, and Daylon Kanengieter and Cole and Carson Stave; three sisters, Ora Fischer of George, IA, Joanne (husband Louis) Vust of Little Rock, IA, Phyllis (husband Marvan) Vanden Brink of Boyden, IA, two sisters-in-law, Francis Harms of George, IA and Don Nita DeBerg of Sibley, IA and many, many cousins, nieces and nephews; along with special friends, Kenny and Joyce Doeden and family. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Arends; birth parents, Helmer and Helen DeBerg; parents, Martin R. and Jenny Kruse and step-mother, Grace J. Kruse; sister, Vera Mulder; two brothers, Alvin DeBerg and Jim DeBerg; infant brothers, Johnnie and Leo DeBerg and Elmer Ray Kruse; two brothers-in-law, John Mulder and Harm Fischer.