Date of Birth:
Monday, April 10, 1939
Date of Death:
Friday, July 28, 2023
Age:
84 years old

Arlene Audrey Strelow

Arlene Audrey Strelow died July 28, 2023 at Seasons Hospice due to complications from cancer.

A public visitation will be held Saturday, August 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church. A funeral service, officiated by Pastor Adam Koglin, will begin at 11 a.m. followed by the burial at Grandview Memorial Gardens in Rochester.

Arlene was born April 10, 1939 on her family farm outside of Lewiston, MN to Albert and Hilda (Peterson) Ziemer.  She graduated from Lewiston High School in 1957. Upon graduation, Arlene moved with a friend to Rochester to find work nearer to where her future husband (Donald Strelow) was working as a mechanic in town.  She applied for a job at a bank, completed a standard typing test and was ushered into the bank president’s office where he made her his personal secretary.  Arlene had not made a single mistake, making her the perfect employee for typing up long contracts and mortgages with accuracy.  Her efficiency, timeliness, and attention to detail defined her personality until her death.

Arlene and Donald married on May 14, 1960 at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lewiston.  They bought a small house in southeast Rochester in 1960 where they raised a daughter (Christine) and a son (Joseph).  They dreamed of someday building a new house in a quiet neighborhood, and that is what they decided to do in 1985.  Don spent the summer of 1986 with a small crew building their dream house; however, it was Arlene that made the house a home.  Over the years, Arlene and Donald welcomed many friends and family to their home, where they entertained in the open main floor and Arlene served delicious home cooked meals at the big dining room table.

Arlene was an active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, and was very involved in the Sarah Circle activities.  While raising children, she also made time to visit shut-ins, make meals for life events held at the church, and participate in fundraising.  For fun, she and Don ran a small catering business with friends and cooked for groups of up to 400 people.  She returned to the workforce as a teacher’s aide at Bamber Valley Elementary, and later as a receptionist at the Rochester YMCA/YWCA.  Don and Arlene were also members of the ROC-8 Square Dance Club and for most of the 50 years of their marriage spent one night a week dancing.

Arlene is survived by her two children, two grandchildren, and a brother.  She was preceded in death by her husband, brother, and countless other friends and family that she missed dearly in the last years of her life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Seasons Hospice, the organization that took wonderful care of her in her final weeks, and Redeemer Lutheran Church, Arlene’s spiritual home for over 60 years.

Macken Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, and online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.  The funeral service will be available for live stream at Redeemer Lutheran Church-Family of Believers on youtube.com for those not able to attend in person.