Arlett Adean (Mehus) JOHNSON DORR

MEHUS, JOHNSON, DORR, EMLEY, OESTREICH, LUNDE, PRUENTE, REINER, RIENKEN, BROWN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/10/2014 at 12:46:53

October 22, 1922 -- March 4, 2014

BELMOND - Arlett Adean (Mehus) Johnson Dorr, age 91, of Belmond, died peacefully March 4, 2014, at the Iowa Specialty Hospital in Belmond, surrounded by her loving family. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2014, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, 2211 130th St., west of Belmond. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pastor Jim Harbaugh will be officiating. A visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, 2014, at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First Street S.E., Belmond, and continues one hour prior to the services at church Thursday. Memorials may be directed to the St. Olaf Lutheran Church Memorial Fund., North Iowa Hospice or to the donor's choice.

Arlett Adean Mehus was born Oct. 22, 1922, to Ben and Amanda (Jacobson) Mehus at home on their farm a mile south of St. Olaf. She had one brother, Granville, who preceded her in death. She attended the rural one-room school house for kindergarten through eighth grade. She graduated from Belmond High School at the age of 16 in 1939. After high school, she attended Waldorf College for one year. In 1940, she worked at the Fort Dodge Hospital in the medical records department. St. Olaf was an integral part of her life, she was baptized, confirmed and married in the church and was a member her entire life.

On May 25, 1941, she was united in marriage to Herschel Johnson in Belmond. They resided on a farm west of Belmond. In 1943 and 1945, they lost two infant sons. In 1947, their son, Kent Ray, joined their lives. In 1956, a daughter, Luann Rae, was born. In June of 1956, Herschel passed away from cancer. Adean was united in marriage to Leland Dorr on Aug. 10, 1957. They resided on the family farm south of Belmond until 1978, when they moved into Belmond to live their retired years.

Adean worked at the Belmond Community Hospital off and on in the business office and medical records room. She was the church secretary for many years for St. Olaf/Trinity/St. John Parish. Adean was a charter member of the Home Study Club at St. Olaf, as well as active in the St. Olaf Church Women Group, the choir and taught Sunday School. She was a passionate quilter and charter member of the St. Olaf Quilting Committee. Adean was on the Fraternal Board for Lutheran Brotherhood for several years and had been active for a time on the Waldorf College Board.

She was very proud of her Norwegian heritage and traveled to the family home in Halsnoy, Norway, four times. Her greatest joy was her family. She was so proud of all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved to tell anyone who would listen about their exploits. Adean always felt blessed to be able to call so many people her friend.

She is survived by a son, Kent, and wife Cathy Johnson of Pillager, Minn., a daughter, Luann Johnson and husband Bob Emley of Urbandale; grandchildren, Angie (Craig) Oestreich of Hutchinson, Minn.; Aimee (Chris) Lunde of Ames; Eric (Julia) Emley of West Des Moines; 1st Lt. Alex (Becky Pruente) Emley of Rapid City, S.D.; great-grandchildren: Quentin Reiner, Kyle Oestreich, Alex Oestreich, Connor Lunde, Brennan Lunde and the promise of Brooklyn Marie Emley due in May; nephew, Bruce (Helen) Mehus of Indiana, Pa. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Herschel Johnson; her second husband of 54 years, Leland Dorr; her parents, Ben and Amanda Mehus; her brother and sister-in-law, Granville and Dorothy (Johnson) Mehus; nieces, Sandra Rienken and Marilyn Brown; aunts and uncles and 18 first cousins in Norway and 15 first cousins in the U.S. Andrews Funeral Home, Belmond, Iowa.

March 9, 2014
Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa