Arlowene O. Halldorson

Arlowene (Arlie) Olivia Halldorson quietly passed from this earth on 1/3/2026 with family members by her side.

Service will be held on January 24th, 2026 at the Gilbertson Funeral Home in Devils Lake, North Dakota. Visitation will be from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Celebration of life will start at 4:00 PM. Interment service will be held immediately after the service in the Devils Lake Cemetery. A fellowship after the service will be held at the Elks Club 2 blocks south of the funeral home. A light lunch will be provided.

Arlowene was born on 12/14/1924 in Bottineau, North Dakota to Ole and Anna Estenson. Of ten siblings she was that last remaining member of this faithful family that has made so many differences to this world we live on.

In 1938 the family moved from Bottineau to North Minnewaukan Township. It was after this move that she met Alfred, the man of her dreams. She and her family moved to Crary, North Dakota and in 1943 she and Alfred were married. They moved to the Halldorson home farm in 1958.

Arlie and Alfred were always focused on family. Sunday was Church. Arlie taught Sunday school for many years. After Church the family would return home and Arlie would often start baking and cooking. At the least some family and/or friends would stop by for coffee, cookies, cake, and snacks.

On many Sundays by midafternoon aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors would start arriving for eats, and great games of badmitten, kittenball, hide and seek, exploring the farm, rock skipping and throwing, or some quality time in the dirt playing with Tonka toys. There was sure to be a few games of pinochle held inside the house as well.

Arlie and Alfred raised a HUGE garden with always enough to share. She baked all of their breads, donuts, sweets of all kinds. Meals were always simple farm style but prepared with love from fresh ingredients. No one went hungry at Arlie's house - ever. She was also a premier wine maker. Chokecherry wine was her specialty. The house always had a unique odor in the fall when the wine was brewing.

After Alfred Retired from hauling bulk fuel for Farmers Union Oil Co. Arlie took a job waitressing at the Artclare Motel. She later took a job working in the activities department of the Good Samaritan Center partly because it was a better job for her but largely because her parents had moved there.

Work was not over when she retired. Mowing grass and Gardening continued along with some volunteer work for the RSVP Program in Devils Lake. Grandkids and Great Grandkids were always the most important in her life.

Alfred passed away in 2002. They lived in a very Christian marriage which means they joined together as one. Half of Arlie was ripped away when Alfred passed into his glory.

She often said that she didn't know why but she knew it was God's plan. She wanted to be with him again but acknowledged that that would be on God's time.

She carried on with all of the farm activities and now with Alfred gone she also had to make sure that all of the yard equipment, the vehicles, and the buildings on the farm were kept up along with all other tasks that Alfred had been taking care of and she took these tasks on until she left the farm with the will power and determination she had learned from her mother and father through the years of pioneering, homesteading, and the economic depression of the 1930's.

Arlie moved to Enderlin in 2021 and became a resident of the SMP - Maryhill care facility later that year. Everyone that had anything to do with Arlie will tell you that she loved and cared deeply. The staff at Maryhill all loved her and all had "Arlie" stories for us when we visited her.

Arlie was preceded in death by her beloved Husband, Mom, Dad, siblings, Daughter Trudy and her husband Gary Ertmann, Son Allen and his wife Elaine, and a Great Granddaughter Tori Schaffer.

Arlie is survived by her son Ricky (Karla) Halldorson, Grandchildren Kris Halldorson, Mitch Halldorson, Tina Heisler, Cheri Rice, Scott Halldorson, Lisa Teteak, Leighton Hiller, Steve Hiller, Great Grandchildren,and many many nieces and nephews.