Arlene Pearl King received her angel wings in the early morning hours of August 1, 2026, just one month shy of her 102nd birthday. Across nearly 102 years of life, Arlene never met a stranger and loved nothing more than a good long chat. Born on September 5, 1924, to Jay and Emily Arnold, she was raised as a farm girl in the Stanton, Nebraska area alongside her two brothers Arthur and Fred.

After completing her education in 1942, Arlene became a schoolteacher, spending several years teaching in a one-room rural Nebraska schoolhouse. Her adventurous spirit later took her to Chicago, and then to Minot, North Dakota, where she worked as an airport weather girl. It was there that she met the love of her life, Joseph S. King, Jr., a veteran WWII pilot. Their love story began after Joe overheard Arlene poking fun at the “dummy who had to land his plane on the highway” because a snowstorm had closed the runway. Smitten, Joe began dating Arlene and even taught her to fly a Super Cub, which she successfully soloed. They were married in July 1949 and shared 43 beautiful years until his passing in 1992.

The newlyweds first moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, where they welcomed their first son, Ron. In the early 1950s, they relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, completing their family with the births of their son, Dan, and daughter, Jolene. In 1964, the family moved to Helena, Montana, where Arlene dedicated her years to raising her children and playing bridge with her church friends. Entrepreneurs at heart, Arlene and Joe opened King’s Toys and Hobbies in 1974, operating the beloved business until selling it in 1986 to retire to Peoria, Arizona.

Retirement didn't slow Arlene down. Every summer, she and Joe returned to Montana to care for their three granddaughters while Jolene and her husband, Tony, farmed. Her granddaughters deeply cherish those summers spent learning to sew, cook, and play cards—especially playing cribbage all summer for a penny a point, culminating in a traditional end-of-season ice cream cone.

Arlene loved a good road trip, meticulously tracking gas prices and mileage in her little notebooks. She was incredibly creative, taking immense pride in her beautiful handmade needlepoint and crochet. Above all, she was a selfless caregiver and a genuinely pure soul. Arlene lived independently and drove until the age of 95, eventually returning to Helena in 2023.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe; her son, Ron; and her son, Dan.

She is survived by her daughter, Jolene (Tony) Novak of Helena; granddaughters, Melissa (Shea) Forkan of Lincoln, MT, Amber (Lance) Clark of Willenhofen, Germany, and Kayla (Clarence) Stine of Lincoln, MT; grandsons, Daniel (Tracy) King, Jr. and David King of Oklahoma; and several beloved great-grandchildren.

Arlene will be laid to rest with her husband, Joe, at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery on August 13th at 10:30 a.m. Flowers and condolences can be sent to 913 Middlemas Road, Helena MT 59602.