Arnold Ottjes, 94

Arnold William Ottjes, 94, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at Covenant Living in Westminster, Colorado.

Arnold was born April 21, 1929 in Brownsdale, Minnesota to Henry and Esther (Wolf) Ottjes. He graduated from Austin High School in 1947. After high school, he went to work at Geo. A. Hormel & Co. where he met his future wife, Millie. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1950 and served four years during the Korean War. While in the Navy, he was trained in electronics and radio communications. Arnold was united in marriage to Millie Swenson on July 14, 1951 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. He was stationed in the Great Lakes and later out of San Francisco where Millie, son Mark and he lived in the Haight Ashbury district. After his release from the Navy in 1954, he moved back to Austin where he used his GI funds to build a house. Arnold returned to work for Hormel in the packing house, but he also worked odd jobs on the side to make ends meet, pouring concrete and driving school bus. He studied to be an electrician at the Austin VoTech. After his training, he worked in the electric shop at Hormel until his retirement in 1995.

Arnold was an active and faithful member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. He helped with wiring the old and new church. He enjoyed his car and taking rides with his family, solving crosswords and reading. He was always busy with projects and was a perfectionist in everything he did which was evident in the meticulous skills he used on the woodworking projects in his home. He was a good neighbor and was very devoted to his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Millie; son, Mark Arnold Ottjes; and sister, Lois Stelter.

Arnold is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law: Debra Ann (Keith) Hooper of Ben Lomond, California, Lisa Marie (Michael) Sprengeler of Denver, Colorado, and Mary Elizabeth Ottjes of Novato, California; two grandchildren: John and Mary Anna Sprengeler of Denver, Colorado; nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, July 6th at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church with the Reverend Ted Barthels officiating. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.