David LeRoy Arne

David LeRoy Arne died on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at Vibra Hospital in Fargo, ND. 

David was born to Willard and Marie (Vanderbus) Arne on June 22, 1952. He is the oldest of Five children. David’s sister was five years younger than David and his brother; Kenneth was three years younger. They had a sister and a brother who died in infancy. 

David and his family grew up in Moorhead, MN. He fondly remembers delivering the Fargo Forum newspaper for about three years, having both a morning and afternoon route. He graduated from Moorhead High School in 1970. He then attended Moorhead Vo-Tech for automobile mechanics and received a diploma in 1972.

In July of 1977, David joined the Army National Guard. He attended Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. 

From Moorhead, he went to Grand Forks. He participated in a construction unit while stationed out of Grand Forks for four years. David worked for the East Grand Forks School District from 1981 to 1989. He assisted the food service by delivering U.S. food commodities. He branched out and started out washing school buses and moved up to bus driving. When not driving bus, he also did janitorial duties.

David lived in California from 1989 to 1997, just missing out on the floor in Grand Forks. While in California, he worked at a gas station for about eight years and a liquor store for a couple of years. He was attached to Army National Guard Units in Santa Barbara and Ventura, California. In 1992, David’s unit was called upon to provide security for 15 days following the riots in Los Angeles. 

David started working for Hornbachers Express in 1997 and worked there for 16 years. He started unloading trucks and stocking shelves on overnight shifts. From there, he transitioned to the “front” where he bagged groceries, provided carry out services, janitorial and ordered supplies. He also expedited groceries from store to store as well as from the warehouse when needed. He enjoyed helping customers stating “my customers were #1”.

David retired from the Army National Guard in 1999 after more than 20 years of service, serving a few more years in MN after returning from California. 

In his younger years, David enjoyed bowling and was knowledgeable about cars and engines. He assisted a friend who raced stock cars in Glyndon, MN enjoying working in the pits. 

David leaves behind one sister, Gloria (Russell) Jepson, Frazee, MN, nieces, Maria Arne, Mary (Kyle) Arne Hunt, and Karena Lugo, nephews: Benji, Fabian Gabriel Ledoux, Cody Lugo, and Joe Bradsteen, five great nieces: Marisa, Cecilia, Nina, Kacia, and Olivie, great nephews: Maximo, Hector, Benicio, and Gilbert, great-great niece, Grace, and great-great nephews: Dezmond, Anthony, Z’xander, Theodore, Levitacus, and Maximus. 

Funeral services for David Arne will be held at David-Donehower Funeral Home, 609 US HWY 10 E, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501, on Friday, July 26, 2024 at 11 AM with Pastor Edwin Borchardt to officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior. Burial will be held at a later date at the Minnesota State Veteran’s Cemetery, 15550 MN-115, Little Falls, MN 56345.