Obit for ONKEN, Arnold Duane (b.1934 d.2005), Murray Co., MN
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Arnold Duane Onken was born on July 8, 1934, on a farm in Murray County, 
Minnesota north of Lime Creek to John and Margaret Finke Onken. He grew 
up on the family farm and attended country school and graduated from 
Slayton High School in 1952. Arnie then attended Worthington Community 
College. He and his father were involved in a farm accident and his 
father was killed. Arnie then moved back to the family farm. On October 
5, 1963, he and Sylvia Kuehl were married at St. Ann's church in Slayton. 
Following their marriage they lived on the Onken family farm north of 
Avoca and raised their children. Arnie started custom spraying in the 
early 1960s. In 1977, he started the Avoca Spray Service and has 
continued to run the business until the time of his death. Arnie and 
Sylvia moved into Slayton in 1997. Arnie passed away unexpectedly on 
April 11, 2005, at the Highland Regional Medical Center in Sebring, 
Florida at the age of 70. He was a proud member of the Murray County Pork 
Producers, Cattlemen's Association, and was the current president of the 
Lime Lake Access Corporation of Avoca. Traveling, boating, driving his 
antique convertible cars, and spending time with his family were some of 
Arnie's favorite pastimes. He developed much of the property into lots 
around Lime Lake in Avoca. He and Sylvia enjoyed spending the past two 
winters in Lake Placid, Florida. 

Survivors include his wife Sylvia, Slayton; two daughters and their 
husbands and two sons: Kelli and Ric Rowley, Ft. Atkinson, WI; Jody 
Onken, Slayton; Lane Onken, Avoca and Dolyn and Nathan Walther, Fulda; 
eight grandchildren: Jillian, Ian and Devon Rowley, Austin and Alyssa 
Onken, Jeff Paplow and Brian and Daniel Walther; and one sister Joan 
Janke, Fulda. He was preceded in death by a grandson, James Walther and 
brothers: Irvin and Edward. 

Funeral services were held on Monday, April 18, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at 
Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton, MN with the Rev. Gloria Anderson and 
John Stenen officiating. The organist is Twyla Hungerford. Special music 
is by Jamie Leonard and Malo Scotting. The pallbearers are Bob Leonard, 
George Bremer, Denny Bremer, Gary Olson, Rusty Carlson, Phil Olson, 
Richard Tibbetts, and Neal Crowley. Interment is at St. Ann's Cemetery in 
Slayton, MN