Arnold "Arnie" B. Dickson's Obituary
Arnold “Arnie” B. Dickson, age 90, passed away on September 20, 2015 at Wild Rose Manor in Wild Rose, WI. He is survived by his loving wife of more than 68 years: Beulah J. (Williams) Dickson; three sons: David (Mt. Morris), Steven (West Allis), and Brian (DeKalb, IL); granddaughter: Juleen Dickson; grandsons: Alan (Sara) Dickson, Robert (Becca) Dickson, and Nate Dickson; great-grandchildren: Aubrey, Anthony, and Chase; sisters: Shirley (Edward) Behm and Audrey Witkowski; sisters-in-law: Ruth Dickson, Marjorie Voruda, Gertrude Ziebell, Virginia Williams, and Esther Williams; brother-in-law: Oliver (Marilyn) Williams; and 26 nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death were his parents: Bruce and Bessie Dickson; step-mother: Audrey Dickson; brother: Wallace Dickson; sister: Bernice Dickson; brothers-in-law: Andrew Witkowski, Griffith Williams, Kenneth Williams, Jack Voruda, and Martin Ziebell; sister-in-law: Mardell Williams; and a nephew: Dan Eater.
Arnold was born on June 25, 1925 in Wausau, WI. At age 10, he moved with his family to Oshkosh, WI, where he loved to build sail and ice boats, and maintain his prized Model T Fords. He graduated from Oshkosh High School in January 1944, and worked for Oshkosh Motor Truck as a drafter for about a year. In early 1945, while a patient at Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh he met his future bride, Cadet Student Nurse, Beulah Williams. He was drafted into the U.S. Army near the end of World War II, working as a photocopier of sensitive documents at a base near Frankfurt, Germany, achieving the rank of Technical Corporal.
Following his service, Arnold worked at Werch Motors. On August 30, 1947, Arnold and Beulah were married. He later worked at Dahl Motor Company as an auto body repairman. In 1956, Arnold started his own business, “Arnie’s Auto Body”, where he worked for 11 years. When his business closed in 1967, he worked for Bergstrom Motors. In 1968, he and a close friend were selected to start up the Auto Body Repair program at the Fox Valley Technical Institute, where he worked until his retirement in 1987. Arnold was very active at the First Presbyterian Church in Oshkosh, and was a Sunday School Teacher for many years. He was also actively involved with the Jaycees and Cub Scouts.
Following retirement, Arnold and Beulah moved to Mt. Morris where they built their dream retirement home. He was active at the Mt. Morris Holden Lutheran Church and worked as custodian there for many years. Arnold also enjoyed playing Sheepshead with “The Card Club”; four couples of great friends that met monthly for more than 55 years.
A Memorial Service will be on Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 2:00 PM at the Mt. Morris Holden Lutheran Church in the Town of Mt. Morris, Wautoma, WI. A visitation will be held on Sunday from 1:00 – 2:00 PM at the church. The Holly Funeral Home of Wild Rose is assisting the family with arrangements.
The family wishes to express a special thanks to Dr. Blaha and Dr. Lake, the staff at Juliette and Wild Rose Manors, and to Agnesian Healthcare Hospice. The special care Arnie received will never be forgotten.
What’s your fondest memory of Arnold "Arnie"?
What’s a lesson you learned from Arnold "Arnie"?
Share a story where Arnold "Arnie"'s kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Arnold "Arnie" you’ll never forget.
How did Arnold "Arnie" make you smile?