Roy Elmer ARNOLD

ARNOLD, LAU, TRCA, CHAMBERS, TABB, LILYGREN, SPENSELY, TRCA-CHARLIE, CHARLIE, CAPALDO

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/10/2010 at 13:30:57

Belmond Independent, Iowa
May 13, 2008

Roy E. Arnold, 90, Klemme, died May 5, 2008 at the Concord Care Center, in Garner. Services were held May 10 at the Klemme United Methodist Church with Rev. Paddy Druhl officiating. Interment with military honors was in Ell Township Cemetery.

Roy Elmer, the third son of Elmer John and Nellie Lydia (Lau) Arnold, was born in the big farmhouse on the Arnold farm near Klemme on December 16, 1917. At age four, Roy ran away to go to school. He attended Avery #3/Riverside School and graduated from Klemme High School in 1934 at age 16. He attended Iowa State College and graduated in the upper 2% of his class in 1940 with a B.S. in animal husbandry. He returned to the farm after graduation. In early 1942 he entered the U.S. Army and was posted to the 807th Aviation Engineers in the Aleutian Islands of Umnak and Adak, Alaska. In 1944 he returned to the States briefly for training before shipping out to Hawaii and Okinawa where his unit helped build the Kadena airfield. When the war ended he returned to the farm where he remained until his retirement. Roy married Thelma Maxine Chambers on June 18, 1946. They farmed, traveled and were active in many social and civic organizations. Roy joined the Klemme United Methodist Church at age 13, and for many years served as a Sunday school teacher. He also served as a Klemme school board member, 4-H leader, and cubmaster for the Klemme Cub Scouts. He was a member of the American Legion, Farm Bureau and Hancock County Historical Society. When farm work allowed, he was planning trips: to the state fair, the Wisconsin Dells, Yellowstone National Park, California and Missouri to visit Thelma's family, Expo '67, Expo '69, and Mexico. His favorite location was always Alaska. In 1981, 1987, 1990 and 1992 he and Thelma traveled through the western U.S. and Canada to Alaska in their 1970 VW van. Repeated breakdowns caused them to make acquaintances with every VW mechanic in the states and provinces they passed through. In later years, Roy and Thelma visited Hawaii and wintered in Texas. Roy enjoyed reading and was seldom seen without a book by his side. Upon retirement, Roy and Thelma moved into the house in Klemme that had been owned by her parents, John and Lois (Tabb) Chambers. At the time of Thelma's death in June 2005, they had been married for almost 59 years. In December 2007 Roy was hospitalized for congestive heart failure and later went to the care center.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents; wife; brother Curtis; brother-in-law Wayne Chambers; and sisters-in-law Joyce Arnold and Nancy Chambers. Roy will be greatly missed by his children William (Lanette) Arnold of Klemme, Arlys (Carol Lilygren) of Falcon Heights, MN, Don (Gail Spensely) of Arroyo Seco, NM and Lance (Tish) Arnold of Klemme; siblings Wilbur, Evelyn and Bruce Arnold, all of Klemme; grandchildren Monica Trca-Charlie (Jason), Michelle Trca, Tami Trca, Travis (Trisha) Trca, Bradi Arnold, Kelly Arnold and Robert Arnold; great-grandchildren Genero, Preston, Cameron, Ethan and Caprice Charlie, Cali and Anthony Capaldo, and Kennedy Trca.