Arno
Robert 'Abie' Ahrens
Arno Robert ‘Abie’ Ahrens, 84, of Grand Island, was called home to rest on Friday, April 6, 2012 from the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Celebration of Life Service will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 10 at
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Grand Island. Reverend Bill
Pavuk will officiate. Military honors will be provided by the United
States Marine Corps and Grand Island Veterans Honor Guard.
A gathering of family and friends will be from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church.
Arno was born May 18, 1927, on a farmstead east of Ravenna in Buffalo County to Arno Oskar Otto and Myrtle (Hughes) Ahrens.
Those left to cherish his memory include a daughter, Deborah Ahrens of Grand Island; two sons and daughters-in-law, Brent and Susan Ahrens of Grand Island and Dana and Christine Ahrens of Colorado.
He is also survived by six grandchildren and their spouses, Jeremy and Heather Ahrens, Zachary Ahrens, Rachel Ahrens and her fiancé Mike Mofitt, all of Lincoln, Ian Ahrens of Grand Island, Mason Ahrens and Ashley and Scottie Nelson of Texas; a great grandson, Matthew; and three sisters-in-law, Nathie Ahrens, Lorraine Peters and Roberta Hughes.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; his parents; brothers, Keith Hughes and Allen Ahrens; sister, Daisy Furtak; brothers-in-law, Ray Furtak and Dale Peters; and sister-in-law, Betty Olsen.
Abie attend school in Ravenna, graduating with the Class of 1946. He was inducted in the United States Marine Corps and served during WWII. After his discharge, he worked on the Burlington Railroad.
Arno was united in marriage to Shirley Mae Peters on May 22, 1948 at St Pauls Lutheran Church at Hastings. They made their home in Grand Island, where he was employed with Western Electric Co. He began his service in the retail industry at Wolbach’s Department Store, moving to Sears Roebuck and Co., retiring with more than 40 years of service.
Arno was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Grand Island, serving as an Usher, Communion Deacon and Boy Scout leader for many years. He was a past member of the Eagles and the Grand Island Saddle Club and was a member of American Legion Post 53.
He enjoyed playing any type of cards and fishing, spending many years fishing with his wife at their home at Sherman Dam. His favorite highlights included the fishing trips to Rainbow Lake in Canada with his brothers and brothers-in-law. Abie always said that if he ever won the lottery, he would make sure Stuhr Museum’s Railroad Town would have a real working train.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Central Nebaraska
Humane Society or National Parkinson Foundation.