Lennis “Red” Arndt, 72, Luverne, died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, at Ava’s Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
A time of fellowship will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne. A memorial service will be at Grace Lutheran Church at a later date. A private burial of cremains will be at St. Paul Lutheran Church Cemetery in Springfield.
Lennis 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 Red married Lisa Marie 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 and served as the fire chief for three years. He served on Springfield’s Planning and 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 and their children, Rebecca and Leah of Dickinson, North Dakota, Justin (Katie) Arndt and their children Cassidy and Lucy of Richmond, and Jacob Arndt of Nashville, Tennessee; two sisters, Sandie Mielke of Sioux Falls and Paulette Levasseur of Sartell; a brother-in-law, Tasissa Moti of 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; a sister-in-law, Donna Arndt; and two brothers-in-law, Larry Levasseur and Richard Mielke.
Arrangements are provided by Dingmann Funeral Home of Luverne, dingmannandsons.com.
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