Arlene Krehbiel

Arlene Mae Friesen was born October 27, 1933 to Jacob and Elizabeth Olfert Friesen on a farm in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. She attended a country school through 6th grade and then graduated from Mountain Lake public school in town.

Arlene rented an apartment in town with two friends to attend Mountain Lake Bible School for one year. She then attended Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, where she met Don Krehbiel. They were married June 9, 1956.

Arlene and Don began their married life in Denver, Colorado before settling in Omaha, Nebraska. She held several jobs, including an insurance company, running the switchboard at Grace, and managing a Snack Shop and concession stand. She is a lifetime member of EBC and served faithfully at church. She would often host dinners for new families, helped with Sunday School, VBS and AWANA. She was very dedicated to bringing the Word of God to her family and sharing with others.

Arlene enjoyed a wide variety of hobbies and activities, from sewing, making cakes, creating heirloom albums, and creating cards. She also taught cake decorating at a community college and taught stamping/card making. She welcomed homesick nieces, nephews, and others, feeding an unexpected basketball team and cheerleaders along with their friends, making sandwiches out of whatever she had for whoever came, all with a welcome smile, kind words and a calm attitude!

Arlene passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on May 27, 2025 at Fountain View Senior Living in Omaha, Nebraska surrounded by family. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Lenora Klassen, sister Amanda, and twin brother Alden who died at birth.

Those left to celebrate her life are her husband of almost 69 years Don, four children; Brian (Marilyn) Krehbiel of Council Bluffs, Gary (Christi) Krehbiel of Omaha, Marla (Tim) Witthauer of Council Bluffs, Vicki (Russ) Funk of Scottsdale, AZ; 18 grandchildren and in-laws, 13 great grandchildren; two sister-in-laws, Mary Ellen Cappiello of Sun Lakes, AZ and Barbara Jean Entz of Omaha, NE; and many nieces and nephews.

Above all, her most memorable accomplishments were being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

A celebration of life is Monday, June 2, 2025 at 10:30 am at Crosspoint Bible Church, 7820 Fort Street, Omaha, Nebraska.