Blanche Viola Arneson

Blanche Viola Schimmel Arneson passed away on Wednesday, June 3, 2015, in her apartment at Pioneer Suites in Fergus Falls, where she had been under the loving care of the Suites staff and Lakeland Hospice. She was 101.
Blanche was born on May 29, 1914, in Maynard, Minnesota, the eldest of four children of Oscar Schimmel and Signora Brevig Schimmel. Blanche graduated from high school in Maynard, and then attended the Minnesota School of Business in St. Paul and worked as a secretary in public service.
Blanche married Vernon Arneson on April 18, 1937, in Maynard, and that same day, without delay or honeymoon, the couple moved to Fergus Falls to start their life together. The couple had four children and lived on Lake Alice. Vern owned and operated the men’s clothing store Arneson & Larson (later Arneson, Larson, & Milton) in downtown Fergus Falls, and Blanche was a devoted wife and mother, as well as a skilled and talented cook. Her orange rolls, which she used to bake every week for Sunday morning breakfast, were particularly legendary. For birthday celebrations at the store, it was always Blanche’s orange rolls the employees requested instead of birthday cake.
In 1962, the Arnesons moved to Cedar Park on Swan Lake, into a home that Blanche herself designed. Husband and wife were both faithful members of the Federated Church in Fergus Falls, and were active in numerous church and community activities. After retirement, they enjoyed traveling in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America. Blanche and Vern were married for 68 years, until his death in 2005.
In May of 2014, family and friends gathered at Pioneer Pointe in Fergus Falls for a celebration of Blanche’s 100th birthday.
Blanche is survived by her sister, Doris Yock of Sun City, Arizona; by her four children, Jo Ann Arneson of Belmont, California; Phil (Sarah Langrish) Arneson of El Ocotal, Honduras; Judy (Eric) Archer of Clinton, Arkansas; and Paul Arneson of Anchorage, Alaska. She is also survived by grandchildren Jodi (David Powelstock) Arneson, Erin Archer (Brian) Rush, Amy Archer Barron (Ian) Watson, Carl (Erin McDade) Arneson, and Dag Arneson, eight great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Ralph and Virgil Brevig Schimmel, and by her husband.
Memorials are preferred to Federated Church, Fergus Falls or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Visitation: There will be no reviewal
Memorial Service: 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at Federated Church, Fergus Falls
Clergy: Reverends Douglas Dent, Ed Morgan and Chaplain Harry Olson