Mrs. Arlene Marie Klunder, 87, of Greenwood, went home to Heaven early in the morning of February 28, 2023. She was born June 19, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois to Bernard John and Freda Marie (Groustra) Ritzema and was educated in Des Plaines, IL. She married Robert D. Klunder on June 4, 1955, and they enjoyed 64 years of marriage.
Arlene was a homemaker and devoted her time and attention to her husband and family. She was known for hospitality and her home was an oasis of peace and calm in a bustling world. Family and friends were always welcome and were refreshed by her genuine and caring spirit. Arlene lovingly cared for her husband as he battled Alzheimer's Disease for the last 15 years of his life. Her selflessness and courage are an inspiration to her family. Her legacy is love.
Arlene was a Christian. She had a deep, abiding, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of the pages in her Bible are filled with notations she made while reading and meditating on the Scriptures. She loved the old-time hymns and attended the Church of God. She volunteered at her church and helped in many areas: benevolence, cleaning, preparing meals for those in need and reading the Bible to the visually impaired. She was also a volunteer at Shepherd's Community, serving in the Clothes Closet for many years.
She enjoyed visiting her son in northern Indiana and taking in the Amish countryside. Working in her garden brought her great satisfaction and she enjoyed tending her flowers and watching them grow. She took great delight in feeding the birds and watching the variations in God's creation that would flock to her yard. She was gifted at sewing and made all variety of things for her children, grandchildren, and home. Her kitchens reflected her Dutch heritage, with Blue Delft dishes and decorations, tea sets and windmills.
In addition to her parents, Arlene was preceded in death by her husband and her infant great grandson.
She is survived by her children, Robert A. (Mary) Klunder, Thomas (Paula) Klunder, Beth (Michael) Lockwood, and Faith (Jim) Lockwood; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and one on the way; her siblings, John (Ardene) Ritzema, Ed (Karen) Ritzema and Jeanette (Jim) Vellenga as well as several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 pm, Thursday, March 9, 2023, at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Greenwood, with Pastor Dale Dragomir officiating. She will be laid to rest beside her husband at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens following the services. The family will receive friends from 11:00 am until the time of services Thursday at the funeral home. For those choosing to make a memorial contribution, the family has suggested those be offered to the Wounded Warriors Project or the Alzheimer's Foundation.