Arlene Adams was born November 12, 1924 in Jacksonville, Iowa, Shelby County to Andrew and Emma Andersen. She was the youngest of 13 children and was baptized and later confirmed at Jacksonville Lutheran Church. Arlene attended Jackson #5 country school and graduated from Harlan High School with the class of 1942. She married Forrest Adams on July 21, 1943 at the home of her sister Mata Littleton in Omaha, Nebraska. Following their marriage Forrest and Arlene started farming near Kirkman and made that their home until she moved to Elm Crest Retirement Center in 2020. She worked side by side with Forrest farming, in their trucking business and raising quarter horses. She also worked for a time as a cook at the Irwin-Kirkman school and in housekeeping at Elm Crest. Arlene was an active member of the Kirkman United Methodist church and the Kirkman United Methodist Women all her adult life. She and her family were always involved in the Shelby County Saddle club and volunteered several years at the Shelby County Fair oven products department. Other involvements were several neighborhood clubs organizations including the W.R.S. (White Ribbon Society), LNO (Ladies Night Out), Red Hat Ladies and Myrtue Memorial Auxiliary.
Arlene and Forrest enjoyed country western music and loved to go country western dancing. She was an avid seamstress and quilt maker for her children and grandchildren.
Arlene was preceded in death by her parents Andrew and Emma, her husband Forrest, and daughter-in-law Carolyn Adams, great grandson Jacob Henkelman. Also her brothers Arthur in infancy, Peter, Frank, Roy, Mathies, Earl, Elmer, LaVern, and sisters Mata, Dora, Annie, and Myrtle.
She is survived by her children Ronald Lee, Cindy Sue (Karl) Hanson, Penny Lee (Eric) Trager, and Amy Lou (Jim) Thygesen. Grandchildren Cody (Michael) Knopf, Harry Adams, Stacy (Jeff) Henkelman, Rachelle (Phill) Larson, Lisa (Jon) Mohr, Gabriel (Cindy) Hanson, Jessica (Tyler) Shiels, Shelby (Grant) Rutz, Brad (Andrea) Thygesen, and Ross (Cady) Thygesen. Eighteen great grandchildren, 1 step great granddaughter, 1 step great-great granddaughter, many other relatives and friends.