Arlene Evelyn Smeby, 93, of Owatonna, Minn., died Aug. 22, 2011, at Homestead Hospice House.

Arlene was born June 10, 1918, near Warren, Minn., the daughter of Karl Otto and Maren Kristine (Ditlefsen) Mortensen. She was the sixth of 10 children and lost both her parents when she was 8 years old and then lived at the Wild Rice Children’s home in Twin Valley, Minn., along with five of her siblings. When she was 11, she went to live with foster parents Nora and Martin Christianson. She moved to Austin, Minn., to be near her siblings in 1936 and worked on the first Spam line at the Hormel plant. She was married to Harold F. Smeby on July 31, 1938, at Moscow Lutheran Church, Moscow Township, Minn. Arlene and Harold were married for 58 years. During the 1950s, they owned and operated the Gambles Hardware Store in Lyle, Minn. Arlene worked at Austin Drug Store for many years before retiring to Sunsites, Ariz., where she and Harold resided for 20 years. Harold and Arlene moved to Owatonna in 1995 to be near family.

Throughout her life, wherever she lived, Arlene was an active member of church and community clubs and organizations. She was a longtime volunteer with Hospital Auxiliaries and the Red Cross. Arlene enjoyed music, golfing, entertaining, playing cards and making crafts — and during her later years made comfort pillows for the Gillette Children’s Hospital and eyeglass cases for the Owatonna Hospital surgery patients. She donated more than 11, 000 eyeglass cases to the hospital.

Arlene is survived by her daughters, Lois (Dale) Frondal of Danville, Ky., Jean Mattson of Owatonna and Kimberly (Robert) Nuñez of Phoenix; seven grandchildren: Scott (Kaari) Frondal of Apple Valley, Minn., Gregg (Dana) Frondal of Danville, Jennifer (Mark) Willoughby of Hermantown, Minn., Sara (Dave) Golden of Lakeland, Minn., Sven Matthew Mattson of Minneapolis, Joseph Nuñez of Phoenix and Stephanie Nuñez of Phoenix; 13 great-grandchildren: Kayla, Jenna and Ricky Kothenbeutel, Christopher and Shelby Frondal, Alexander, Benjamin and Luke Willoughby, Max, Sam and Abby Golden, Andrew Mattson Bates, Gunnar Nuñez; sisters, Florence Glover of Austin, Dorothy Nelson of Oak Harbor, Wash.; brother, Robert Karstensen of Marengo, Ill.; sisters-in-law: Vera Mortensen, Gloria Mortensen, Janet Bothun, Adela Smeby, Norma Smeby; foster sisters, Doris (Gordon) Lindberg, Arlys (Harold) Hanson and many nieces, nephews and dear friends.

Arlene was preceded in death by her husband, Harold in 1996; an infant grandson; parents, Karl and Maren Mortensen; foster parents, Nora Christianson and Martin (Trudy) Christianson; sisters, Agnes Hedquist, Gladys Nelsen, Marcine Baty; brothers, Carl, Allan and Victor Mortensen.

Arlene’s family gives special thanks to the staff of the Owatonna Hospice system for its exceptional care of our mother during the last two months. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Homestead Hospice House of Owatonna or the Trinity Lutheran Church building fund.

Visitation will be at Trinity Lutheran Church from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, August 26, at Trinity Lutheran Church with The Rev. Julie Malone officiating. Interment will be in the Moscow Lutheran Cemetery, Moscow Township later that day in a private family service. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Homestead Hospice House of Owatonna or the Trinity Lutheran Church building fund.