Donald Arends

Donald “Don” Arends, age 81, of Ottertail , MN , died unexpectedly Tuesday, October 20, 2009 , at his lake home on Ottertail Lake .


Don was born November 18, 1927 , in Bottineau , ND , the son of Henry “Hank” and Stella Arends. The family moved to Rapid City , SD , where he graduated high school and met and married Helen Lorraine Kulesza in 1950. Don worked for Benson Optical for twenty-eight years and after several transfers through South Dakota and Minnesota they settled in Fergus Falls and opened Arends Optical in 1973. Don was a pillar in the Fergus community and participated in several community causes and events. He spent his last years between Ottertail Lake , MN , and Surprise, AZ. Don was a valiant soldier in the Korean War where he received two Purple Hearts and the Silver Star for bravery and saving his entire platoon.



Don always enjoyed visiting his daughter, Julie, and her family in Oregon and playing with his grandson, Ian. No matter the title; husband, father, father-in-law, dad, grandpa, uncle or friend, he will remain an Arends family legend. We will miss his jokes, laughs and emails and he will never be forgotten. Don was loved by his family very much and they wouldn’t be who they are without him. He was a faithful servant to God, family and friends.



Don is survived by four children, Dianna Millard, Michael (Beth) Arends, Nancy Lynn Sangrene (Mark Greenwood), and Julie (Rick) Arends-McCollum; six grandchildren, Matthew (Dena) Millard, Ameila (Chris) Thompson, Maggie (Matthew) Arends-Kulseth, Jessy Arends, Justin (Amanda) Sangrene, and Ian McCollum; five great grandchildren, Helena, Victoria, Lorelai, Weston, and Brenin; eight sisters, Helen (Phil) Frey, Black Hawk, SD; Carolyn Steinberg, Glenrock, WY; Sena Zoller, Rapid City, SD; Shirley (Terry) Egge, Rapid City, SD; Vivian (Jim) Childers, Henderson, NV; Marianna Mchlhoff, Clovis, CA; Mattie Taylor, Gratiot, MI; and Leetta Arends, Rapid City, SD; brother and sister-in-laws Charles (Annette) Kulesza, Rapid City, SD; and Donald (Betty) Anderson, Wall, SD; and numerous nephews and nieces.



Preceding Don in death are his parents, Henry and Stella; wife, Helen; and a brother, Kenneth Arends.