Keith Frank Arnold

Keith Frank Arnold was born at his grandparents home, Arthur and Ada Demain, in Rochester Michigan June 1932. His parents were Ora and Martha Arnold. He was the oldest of 6, 3 brothers and 3 sisters. He had one sister who was stillborn. He is survived by his brother Jim & his wife Barbara, brother Ora and his wife Ingrid, his sister Cindy and her husband Les. He has been preceded to the Lord’s Heavenly kingdom by his parents, his sister Ann and her husband Dave his sister Ada and her husband Don.

In September of 1955 he married the love of his life, Harriet Pedersen. She went before him, June of 2019. They are survived by their kids Mark and his wife Jennifer, their daughter Sonja, their grandkids Emilia and Keith and Montana and their great grandkids Wyatt and Madalyn. Keith had a wonderful childhood by his accounts growing up in Rochester and Mt. Vernon Michigan. After graduating Rochester High School, he enlisted in the United States Air Force which was a life changing event for young Keith. After boot camp at cold Sampson Air Force Base, NY, he was ordered to Luke Air base, Glendale, Arizona. During the four years he was stationed at Luke he had many wonderful adventures exploring the west and meeting his childhood movie hero, Gene Autry, in Hollywood Ca. He also attended the Westwood Covenant church where he became enamored the lovely pianist Harriet Pedersen. They both felt that they wanted to live their lives together and to be servants of the Lord. They served churchs in Greenville Il, New Haven MI, Memphis Mi, and Tower Mi. During their 63 year marriage, Keith completed college degrees at Spring Arbor College, Northern Arizona College at Flagstaff, Az (NAU) and Wayne State University, Detroit Mi. In 1981, Keith began a 19 year career as a chaplain with the Arizona Juvenile department of corrections, first at Catalina Mountain school near Tucson and then late at Adobe Mountain school near Phoenix. He often articulated the thought later in life, that all of his education and experience in life were training to ready him for this assignment. He was always very grateful for the tremendous support is wife Harriet gave him thru all these years. Keith had a wonderful sense of humor and many times during even difficult times a good laugh was too be found. He loved to sing and make music, he especially loved to sing with his sister Ada and her husband Don on guitar. He enjoyed the fellowship of his friend Jim Reehl and times they were able to sing together.One of his favorite songs is “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face and the things of earth will go strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” and that would be the thought Hope and prayer Dad would leave in this world, that God loves you and is not willing that any should perish but should be saved by the belief in His only begotten Son, Jesus, the Christ.