Ethel Arford

Ethel L. Arford, 88 years of age, of Holdrege, Nebraska, passed away on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at Holdrege Memorial Homes. Private family services will be held at a later date.

Ethel Lucille Arford was born January 28, 1924 in Becker County, Minnesota near Westbury, the second of five children born to Albert and Elizabeth (Riebhoff) Moe. She was baptized into the Lutheran faith and confirmed at the Richwood Lutheran Church in 1937. She received her elementary education at District #7 in Becker County, Minnesota and graduated from Detroit Lakes High School with the class of 1940. In 1941, she moved with her family to California, where her father worked in a Defense plant in Los Angeles.

On August 5, 1946, Ethel was united in marriage to Glen Arford of Almena, Kansas, who was serving with the U.S. Army Air Corps in California. To this union two children were born: David and Roxanne. The family made their home in Van Nuys, California before moving to Oxford, Nebraska, where her husband worked for the Burlington-Northern Railroad.

Ethel was employed as a secretary at the Oxford Public Schools from 1962 until the family moved to Holdrege in 1968. They returned to Oxford in 1983. Following their retirement in 1985, they continued living in Oxford until Glen's health began to fail in 1994 when they returned to Holdrege. Glen passed away in 1997.

Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life.

Besides her parents and husband, Glen, Ethel was preceded in death by one brother in infancy; two sisters: Helen Potter and her husband, Don, Alice Steverson and her husband, Alvin; and one brother-in-law, Gene Murphy.

She is survived by her son, David Arford and his wife, Janet of Holdrege; her daughter, Roxanne Dahlin and her husband, Dale of Lincoln, Nebraska; four grandchildren: Crystal Tilson and her husband, Brett of Holdrege, Nickolas Arford of Holdrege, Drew Dahlin and Rachel Dahlin both of Lincoln; two great-grandchildren: Conner and Alexa Tilson; one sister, Margaret Murphy of Detroit Lakes; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

There will be no visitation; the family is honoring her wish for cremation.

A memorial has been established in her memory and will be designated at a later date.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, Nebraska is in charge of the arrangements.