Arlis Smith

Arlis Smith, age 92, passed away Saturday, July 13, 2024. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, July 18, at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, Burial will be at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Arlis was born August 25, 1931, on the farm to George and Clara (Richter) Rebelein. She soon became her mother’s helper as her sister Audrey was born in 1934 and brother Roger was born in 1936. She skipped kindergarten, so she could help her mother to care for her two younger siblings. She went to Gunther Country School District 130 until eighth grade. Her father thought high school was not necessary for a female at the time she was allowed to go after a school board member came to the farm to tell her father that this was required by law.

After graduation, Arlis moved to Albert Lea to get a job and live with her aunt Mary. She worked at Woolworths, Wards, and finally Johnsrud’s Grocery. During this time, she would go back to the farm every weekend to help her mother with cooking and laundry.

She met Donald at First Lutheran Church during a youth league meeting. They were married March 13, 1954, and moved to their home on Will-O-Bruce Drive. Shortly after, sons Gary and Kent were born.

She worked at home often as a single parent as Donald was either at work at Norton Ford, or on the farm helping his father. Something was always going on in the kitchen at her house. The freezer was full of kitchen creations. These were all forms of baked goods along with frozen corn and peas, as well as half of beef. Canned peaches, tomatoes, cherries, and green beans were in another basement cabinet.

 After Gary and Kent became full-time students, Arlis worked at the Albert Lea Credit Bureau collecting information relevant to creating credit reports. Once she retired, she and Donald spent years of service volunteering in the community. She volunteered for over 30 years at the Freeborn County Historical Society as well as for First Lutheran Church and the Chamber of Commerce. She always had energy for daily prayer, walking and crochet.

Cookies continued to be a staple in her life and something that her grandchildren cherished and grew to expect. Those cookies would bring smiles to their faces every visit.

She moved to Thorncrest in 2023 and busied herself with walking which gave her purpose and enjoyed making friends with the jigsaw puzzle crew. 

Her congestive heart failure got the best of her and limited her activities. This was quite displeasing to her as she always wanted to be busy. She passed away on July 13, 2023, at Thorne Crest. Immediate surviving family include sister Audrey Christensen, sons Gary and Kent (Lois), grandchildren Karl, Erik, and numerous nieces and nephews.

We know that Donald and Arlis have waited a long time to greet each other in heaven. We can hear his words to her right now, “Boy am I glad to see you!“

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to "Peace and Power" or the Freeborn County Historical Society.