Arlene Lee, 84, of Bemidji, MN passed away on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 at Altru Rehab Hospital in Grand Forks, ND.

A graveside service will be held in the spring of 2025 at Landstad Cemetery, rural Thief River Falls, MN

Arlene Ione Lee, née Anderson, born August 30th, 1940, and baptized January 14th, 1941, at Oak Ridge ULC, Thief Rivers Falls, Minnesota, grew up on a rustic farmstead in northwest rural Minnesota, where her father, Theodore "Teddy" George Anderson, would chop wood to fill the wood box and her mother, Inga Bergliot Anderson, née Olson, would pull from to feed the cooking stove.

Born the youngest and distant in age from her sister and four brothers, Arlene was obliged to find ways to entertain herself, which involved socializing with her collection of dolls, her house cat Kokomo, and a menagerie of farm animals.

While growing up, Arlene attended a nearby township one-room schoolhouse, later attending Thief River Falls Senior High. She was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran ULC on May 29th, 1955, with the following confirmation verse: Ephesians 2:10(NIV) - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. This passage would inspire her to work as a caregiver at a nursing home in Thief River Falls, which she always fondly recalled as very rewarding.

On March 4th, 1961, Arlene would marry Vernon Neil Lee of Grygla, Minnesota, eventually setting up residence in Cloquet, Minnesota, for the next 61 years, where she would evolve from a housewife into a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother. In addition to her love of animals, she enjoyed cooking and collecting various sizes of canisters, vases, celebrity dolls, and assorted nick-nacks.

Arlene is survived by her husband, Vernon, five children, Neil (Julie Jones), Lyle (Tory Mottl), Gary, Kris (Sheri Muermann), and Lori (Chris Bangs), four grandchildren, Sacarra (Jack Price), Nicholas, Eric (Shannon Combs), Joanna (Kevin Zacchea), and two great-granddaughters, Marianna and Audrey. Arlene is preceded in death by Mother: Inga B. Anderson, Father: Theodore George Anderson Sister – Norma Thelen (ANDERSON), Brothers –, Vernon Anderson, Stanley Anderson, Loren Luther Anderson, Donald Leroy Anderson.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Furball Farm Cat Sanctuary (furballfarmcatsanctuary.com)