Lennis “Red” Arndt, 72, Luverne, died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, at Ava’s Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
A celebration of life service will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 1, at Grace Lutheran Church, with a luncheon following in the church basement. A private burial of cremains will be at St. Paul Lutheran Church Cemetery in Springfield on Sunday, May 2.
In lieu of flowers, any memorial donations will be used to honor Red’s favorite causes.
Lennis “Red” Arndt was born May 1, 1948, to Edwin and Edna (Beilke) Arndt in Springfield. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1966. He also attended Worthington Junior College.
In 1983 he married Lisa Turbes. They raised a family together and were married for 26 years, remaining each other’s closest friend for the remainder of his life. Red started working for Springfield Public Utilities in 1967 as a power lineman and later line foreman. He was on the Springfield Fire Department during which time he served as the fire chief for three years. He served on Springfield’s Planning & Zoning Commission for five years and on the Board of Education at Springfield Public Schools for three years. He moved to Fairfax, where he was the city manager from 1986 to 1989. He managed the electric, water and wastewater utilities along with other city services and facilities. Red moved to Luverne in 1989 to be the city’s utility superintendent. In 1990 Red was instrumental in the design and construction of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, serving in many vital capacities including board chairman from 2006 until his death.
Red was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. He enjoyed fishing, the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, spending time with his granddaughters, family and friends, traveling, time in his man cave, and feeding the squirrels.
Red is survived by the mother of his children, Lisa Arndt; three sons, Joshua (Tamara) Arndt, granddaughters Rebecca and Leah, Dickinson, North Dakota, Justin (Katie) Arndt, granddaughters Cassidy and Lucy, Richmond, and Jacob Arndt, Nashville, Tennessee; two sisters, Sandie Mielke, Sioux Falls, and Paulette Levasseur, Sartell; brother-in-law, Tasissa Moti, Brooklyn Park; and many nieces, nephews and extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Geraldine Moti; a brother, Douglas Arndt; sister-in-law Donna Arndt; and two brother-in-laws, Larry Levasseur and Richard Mielke.
Arrangements were provided by Dingmann Funeral Home of Luverne, dingmannandsons.com.
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