Arla May Fennig

Arla May Fennig, 93, of Fort Wayne Indiana, died at Lutheran Hospital on Sunday, November 5, 2023. She was born in Columbia City, Indiana on October 28, 1930, daughter of the late Herbert L. and Freda B. Keiser. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Thomas E. Fennig; daughter, Gail L. King; and grandson, William J. Hill. Also preceding her in death are her seven brothers and sisters, Beth E. Downam, Margaret B. Hutchings, Dale L. Keiser, Maxine E. Fry, Gerald L. Keiser, Maurice D. Keiser, and Alice J. Keiser.

She was the mother of four, Stephen E. (Patsy) Bower of Columbia, South Carolina, the late Gail L. King, Robin D. (Pamela) Bower and Tonya J. (Patrick) Plummer both of Fort Wayne; the grandmother of eight, the great grandmother of nine, and the great-great-grandmother of one.

Arla May worked her entire adult life. As a young mother, she worked briefly at the Broadway plant of General Electric and served on the wait staff of Hall’s Family Restaurants in Fort Wayne. For several years, she worked as a nurse’s aid at the Lutheran Life Villages on South Anthony Blvd and then at Crow’s Haven Nursing Home on Bowser Avenue. With husband Tom, she owned and managed two businesses in Fort Wayne -- the Court Street Luncheon directly across the street from the Allen County Court House and Sensations, a women’s clothing store on East State Street.

She loved to sing and perform. She taught herself at an early age to play the guitar and piano. With sister Maxine, she formed a country music singing duo that performed locally and throughout northeastern Indiana. At Crow’s Haven she assisted with the activities and social enrichment program, a part of which enabled her to sing and perform for the nursing home residents. In retirement, she performed with a musical group that traveled about the Fort Wayne area sharing their music at volunteer events and with residents of assisted living and nursing home facilities.

Prior to her full retirement to the Kingston Residence of Fort Wayne, she and husband Tom lived on the shore of Shriner Lake in the Tri-Lakes area of Whitley County, a few short miles from her childhood home in Columbia City. As a teen, she recalled walking or hitchhiking with friends from Columbia City to the dance hall and hotel at Tri-Lakes Resort to dance and see the bands of the big band era perform. From the comfort of her front porch on the lake, she enjoyed reminiscing about the “old days” and watching the boat traffic and the many people who would walk or ride past her house each day.

Funeral services will be 2:00 pm on Friday, November 10, 2023 at Greenlawn Funeral Home, 6750 Covington Road, with a gathering of family and friends beginning at 12:00 pm. Entombment will follow services at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Fort Wayne. Condolences and memories of Arla may be left online at www.greenlawnmpfh.com