Arlene Mae (Rudolph)Youmans

 

Arlene Youmans (1928 – 2020)

Arlene Mae (Rudolph) Youmans was born on October 3, 1928 in Fremont, Nebraska to George and Marian (Ibsen) Rudolph. She grew up on the farm with her sister Vernell and attended a Dodge County country school. Arlene graduated from Fremont High School in 1946. She attended Dana College in Blair, Nebraska where she met her future husband James H. Youmans Jr. James and Arlene were married on August 28, 1949 at Bluffs Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Dodge County. Arlene achieved her state teaching credentials in 1948 and taught school at Elkhorn, Nebraska until her husband’s graduation from Dana College in 1950. Her three children Alan, Dale and LuAnne were all born in Blair, Nebraska. The family moved to Persia, Iowa in 1957 where Arlene later returned to teaching elementary school at Tri-Center Community Schools; completing her college degree from Dana College in 1968; and eventually retiring after over 30 years of dedicated teaching. After the death of her husband in 2012 she moved to Omaha, Nebraska to initially live with her loving daughter LuAnne; later moving into the Rolling Hills Ranch independent living facility in 2016. Arlene left Rolling Hills in May, 2020 to live alternatively with her daughter LuAnne and son Alan in the Phoenix, Arizona area. She passed away on June, 27, 2020 in Carefree, Arizona gently supported by Zephyr Hospice Care.

Arlene lived her strong Christian faith everyday of her long life. During her life she was an active member of Bluffs Trinity Lutheran Church, First Lutheran Church (Blair, NE), St; John’s Lutheran Church (Persia, IA), Trinity Lutheran Church (Persia, Iowa) and St. John’s Lutheran Church (Bennington, NE). Arlene taught Sunday School for many years and was active in the Ladies Aid. She possessed a beautiful soprano voice and sang throughout her life in the Dana College Acapella Choir, in her church choirs, at weddings and funerals, and at her Rolling Hills Ranch residence. Arlene was later active in her church quilting group. She made many quilts for her family, friends and their pets. She devoted many years to the Iowa American Legion Auxiliary. Arlene was uniformly viewed as a kind, gentile, considerate person who willingly and humbly gave of herself to others. Anyone who knew Arlene invariably described her as “One of the nicest people I ever met”.

Arlene was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 62 years James (2012); her loving parents George and Marion (Ibsen) Rudolph; her beloved sister Vernell (Rudolph) Ruff; and her treasured brother-in-law Lowell Ruff.

Arlene is survived by her son Alan (Julene) Youmans; son Dale (Yvonne) Youmans; daughter LuAnne Lathrop; granddaughters Allison (Tanner) Forster and Erica Lathrop; great grandsons Hays and Graham Forster; niece Gail (Steve) Samson; her special nephew Wayne (Karen) Ruff; nephew Bruce (Tamara) Ruff; three step-grandchildren; five step-great grandchildren; and many grandnephews, grandnieces, great grandnephews and great grandnieces.

A good life well-lived.

Funeral Services: 11:00 AM, Friday, July 17, 2020 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 322 N. Molley St., Bennington, Nebraska a Private interment at Valley View Cemetery in Persia, Iowa later.

Memorials may be directed to VNA Hospice of Omaha or St. John’s Lutheran Church.