ARNIE BRIGHT

Arnie Bright, 78 of Rolette, ND passed away at his home early Wednesday morning, January 22, 2014 in the loving care of family and friends. Funeral Services for Arnie will be held on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at Ebenezer Lutheran Brethren Church, Rolette, ND with Rev. Trudy Dumont, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, St. John, ND. Military Honors will be accorded by the Dethman-Armstrong Post # 194, Rolette American Legion and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team. Friends may call at the Ebenezer Lutheran Church on Monday from 9:00 a.m. until time of service. Serving as Casket Bearers for Arnie will be Robyn Martinson, Lloyd Fett, Randy Yoder, Danny Sheets, Nathan Lunde and Lee Rahn. Honorary Bearers will be Josh Morrow, Zach Morrow, Jeff Morrow, and Ron Stromswold. Music will be provided by Nathan Lunde, vocalist and Dave Schnackenberg, pianist with Congregational Hymns. Arnie, son of John “Bob” and Barbara “Bobbie” (Adolf) Bright was born on July 14, 1935 at Mona, Wyoming. He was reared and educated in Wyoming, living on the family ranch between Meeteetse and Cody, Wyoming, attending school in Meeteetse and Lovell, Wyoming. Arnie entered the United States Air Force in 1954 and served his country during the Korean War as a member of the Military Police Unit. He served part of his tour in Japan and was honorably discharged in 1958 but continued with the Air Force Reserves until 1962. After his discharge, Arnie returned to Wyoming and was working as a ranch hand in the area when he met his beloved Ruth while she was taking a brief break from her nursing career, to help out her sister and family at the LU Sheep Company. Arnie and Ruth Adam were united in marriage on September 22, 1962 at Greybull, Wyoming. They established their home on the ranch for a couple of years. Arnie accepted employment with the Rolette Implement. The family moved there in 1966 and made it their home through the years. In May of 1974, Arnie began working at the Rolette Farmers Union, he was known to the community as Wyoming or 520. He retired in 1996 after over 30 years as a dedicated, hardworking employee. Arnie was a man of deep faith and was a long time member of the Presbyterian Church, serving as a Trustee and Elder. His number one priority was always his family. His children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were his pride and joy. He never missed a basketball game, concert or any school activity that his “girls” were participating in. He was a devoted Papa who loved spending time with his grandchildren. He will be remembered for giving high fives, down lows and too slow. Arnie was the ultimate, Minnesota Vikings fan and he persuaded every member of his family to follow suit. He enjoyed fishing, hunting with his son-in-law, Jeff, board games of any kind and an occasional game of Pinochle. Grandpa Arnie loved to play Legos and did jigsaw puzzles with his grandchildren. In these later years, Arnie had begun making many hair pin lace creations (usually in purple and gold) and sharing them with his grandchildren, great grandchildren and other family and friends. His “sweet tooth” gave him the opportunity to always volunteer as the sampler of any new recipe or those all-time favorites. Arnie was a quiet, gentle, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle who will be missed by all those who knew him and whose lives he so richly touched. Arnie’s loving family include his wife, Ruth of 51 years; daughters and sons-in-law Julie and Ron Stromswold of Audubon, PA and Kathy and Jeff Morrow of Wolford, ND; grandchildren Hanna Lewis (Brice Baker), Breanne Lewis and Josh Morrow, Zach Morrow and Peyton Morrow; great grandchildren Harper and Amaya; sisters and brother Geneva Baird, Thermopolis, WY, Frank Phillips, Aurora, CO and Charlotte Bradstreet, California; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Janet and Buck Leonard, Green River, WY and Barb and Dayle Anderson, Hamilton, MT; several nieces and nephews also survive.