Obituary of Arlene Sheldon

A funeral service for Arlene Sheldon, age 89, of Milford will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 3, 2020 at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji, Iowa. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church. Arlene Mary Braunschweig was born March 12, 1930, in Peterson, Iowa, to Wilhelm Carl Braunschweig & Anna Ella Wagner Braunschweig. Arlene attended rural school and graduated in 1948 from Peterson High School. Arlene was married to Earl LeRoy Sheldon in 1953. They had one son, Rodney. Arlene worked right out of high school at the Spencer Hospital as a nurse aide. She spent her married life as a homemaker. Her husband Earl owned a welding shop. Arlene worked at the local Gressley’s Shoe Store and in the summer cleaned cottages in the lakes area. She took pride being a 57 year member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Arlene moved to the Accura HealthCare of Milford in 2016. She loved the nursing home, the staff, the many activities, and enjoyed reading her magazines and newspapers. The nursing home staff commented she was the happiest resident they had ever served. Arlene’s joys in life were being a mom & being a twin. Her world revolved around her son & supporting her husband in any way she could. She & her sister were inseparable & loved dressing alike. The comment was made when they took high school photos that they only needed to take one photo & just change the names. Arlene’s statement in her high school annual was ‘All who joy would win must share it--happiness was born a twin,’ Her sister who was 10 minutes younger than she, had the comment by her photo ‘ditto’. That was how they journeyed through life as twins. Arlene loved to fish & enjoyed processing & cooking any animal her family brought her; fish, deer, pheasant, or any other animal. She loved Cheetos, sugarless candy, chocolate covered cherries, pickled herring, & she made the best peanut brittle during the Christmas holidays. No one could replicate her secret recipe. Arlene always had a positive outlook on life & was very witty, always giving a funny response. Arlene passed away Thursday, January 30, 2020, at Accura HealthCare of Milford at eighty-nine years of age. Arlene is preceded in death by her husband, parents, in-laws, brother Burdette, and her twin sister Darlene. Those left to celebrate her life are her son, Rod, granddaughters Danielle & husband Taylor, Randie & fiance, Eric, many nieces, nephews, great & great-great nieces & nephews, & numerous friends. She will be missed and remembered by many. Please help us not to mourn her death but to celebrate her life.