Grace Ilene Arnold

She was born in Lansing, the daughter of Joseph and Lura Slee, one of 12 children. Mom was quite the tomboy as a child and played rough and tumble with her siblings and the other children in the neighborhood.

Grace Married Keith Arnold on June 23rd, 1946, in Lansing, with her brother, Jack, and sister-in-law, Vernice, as witnesses.

A story she often liked to tell was that the first time she saw Keith, he was riding on an Indian motorcycle that was being towed behind a car driven by his brother. She met him a short while later, as her sister, Viola, happened to live just a few houses away from him and was friends with his sister, Dorothy.

Grace enjoyed fishing, gardening, and spending time with her family. Every year, there was a huge garden of tomatoes and peppers among a few other vegetables that were canned and stocked up for the winter. She loved baking cakes and decorating elaborate cakes for her grandchildren’s birthdays and other special occasions

She is survived by her children, Shirley Reed, Dale (Darla) Arnold, Barry Arnold, and son-in-law, Ed Vanous; grandchildren, Shane Arnold, Keith Arnold, Charles Reed, Dale Arnold Jr., Curtis Reed, Andrea Arnold, Kyle Arnold, Kelli Vanous, Kelley Allen, Nicholas Arnold, and Briana Arnold, and 13 great-grandchildren

Grace was preceded in death by her husband, Keith, in 2007, her son, Keith (Butch) Arnold, in 2013, her daughter, Sharon Vanous in 2023, and her grandson, Cody Arnold, in 2013