Arlene Hall, 101, of Brookings, died Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at The Neighborhoods at Brookview in Brookings. 

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 26, at the Beach United Methodist Church in Howard. Burial followed at the Fedora Cemetery. Visitation was one hour prior to services.

Arlene Marcella Slemmen was born on the farm in Fedora to Torsten Anderson Slemmen and Alice “Allie” Kelsey Prindle Slemmen on April 4, 1922. She was raised in a loving home with four siblings and eight cousins who Allie and Torsten helped raise at various times. She attended Fedora schools, and at high school graduation, she earned the honor of Salutatorian. During World War II, she went to General Beadle College in Madison and got a two-year teaching certificate. She taught school for most of six decades, including rural schools, and into her late 70s, she finished as a teacher’s aide in Howard. 

On Jan. 11, 1946, she married Frederick Samuel (Sam) Hall at her parents’ home on her parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. They met at a dance and became engaged while Sam was in the Army in World War II. Sam and Arlene farmed together for over 50 years; on a farm located northeast of Howard. Sam and Arlene were lifelong members of the United Methodist Church. They enjoyed traveling. After farm life, they moved to a home in Howard.

Arlene’s trademarks were hospitality, cooking and baking and growing flowers and gardening.

Arlene is survived by her children, Kirk Hall (Debbie) of Shawnee, Kan., Colene Hall Reiser (Wayne) Brookings; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; sister, Ione Slemmen Sandene; and many nephews, nieces, and long-time friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of sixty years, Sam Hall; a sister, Vergene Slemmen Klatt and her husband, Morris Klatt; sister, Iva Prindle; brother, Clayton Prindle and his wife Beulah (Beddow); and brother-in-law, Art Sandene.