Arden Hargens
April 10, 1940 — March 11, 2022
Arden Lowell Hargens, son of Louie John Peter Hargens and Elsie Catherine Sophia Sinow, was born on April 10, 1940 in Carroll County, Iowa. He attended his first year of public school in Manning, IA until his family moved to a farm west of Manning where he attended country school. He received an Iowa High School admission certificate from Crawford County country school #8 in May of 1955, but choose to stay home and help his father on the family farm.
In 1957, he met a cute little red head walking home from school on Main Street in Manilla, IA. The story is that he had to drive around the block a couple of times before he and his cousin pulled over to talk to her and her friend. Arden married Gloria Jean Lahr on May 1, 1959 in Omaha, NE. The couple initially lived in Gray, IA for a short period of time before moving to Carroll then to Vail. The family briefly lived in Umatilla, OR in 1978 before relocating to Manilla, IA. Arden and Gloria then lived on the Hargens farm for a few years ultimately settling in Earling, IA in 2009.
Arden worked a variety of jobs over the years. While in Vail, he volunteered for the fire department and was a bulldozer operator for Bill Blair while raising 5 daughters. The majority of his employment was working in a packing plant. He was employed through IBP, Dubuque Packing and Farmland Foods. After 35 years of cutting meat, he retired in 2005.
Hunting and fishing were two of his most favorite things to do while growing up. After a holiday gathering on the Hargens farm, it was tradition for Arden and his nephews to wander outside and “check out” the birds or squirrels. He was known as the “Iron Man” on his CB handle. He was always tinkering on something that needed welding. He enjoyed scrapping iron and hauling loads of scrap metal to Quandt Auto salvage for extra cash for his family. He never owned a new vehicle but rather would challenge himself by buying a used vehicle in which he would always work on as his own mechanic.
Nascar was a favorite past time with Dale Earnhardt as his driver. He enjoyed winning a few bucks at Bingo then going to casinos and losing a few bucks. He and Gloria loved to travel to Texas and even attended a few Dallas Cowboys football games. Iowa Hawkeyes were his favorite college team only because he was married to the BEST Hawkeye fan ever! While living in Manilla, he and Gloria enjoyed bowling on local team leagues. He loved to go to auctions which soon led to collecting model cars and other novelties. Assembling model cars as well as passing time with puzzles filled his time after retirement. Gloria and Arden collected admission fees for many summers for IKM softball games. He was an avid gardener passing this love down to his children. He mother gave him the love to bird watch and try to find that rare bird in Iowa, such as the yellow cardinal!
His love of music grew over the years from Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard to Chris Stapleton and Whiskey Meyers. You could always hear Arden was close by when he would crank his tunes up in his vehicle as loud as he could go and drive real slowly until he reached his destination. He loved to watch movies and TV. Dukes of Hazzard was one of his first favorite TV series, only because of the 1969 Dodge Charger, The General Lee. His favorite movie was Hell or High Water and TV series, Yellowstone. One of the things he told his family that he would miss the most was Season 5 of Yellowstone and watching Two Broke Girls with his granddaughter, Marea.
There was always a family dog as long as his girls can remember, and a few cats along the way. His dog, Elliott was his favorite! Arden and Gloria’s favorite breed was Shelties bringing 2 into their family home, Kia and Kya. Kia was his rock. She was his last dog who lived for him, and he lived for her. Kia was peacefully laid to rest one day after Arden at the age of 15. All 3 dogs will be placed to rest with him.
When Gloria passed away in 2016, he was asked to fill her spot playing Bunko with the Earling Ladies known to him as the “Bunko Bunnies.” He enjoyed the friendships he made along the way of his life. His jet black hair never grayed. He always wore blue jeans with a leather vest and cowboy boots. Occasionally, one might see and hear him walking with his is spurs on.
Arden entered God’s kingdom on March 11, 2022 peacefully at his home. He was proceeded in death by his wife, Gloria; parents, Louie and Elsie; sister, Marion (Jr) Bartelson and brothers, Alan and Jerry Hargens.
He is survived by his daughters, Melodie (Duane) Boell of Manilla, IA; Jamie Hanson (fiancé Randy Berg) of Westside, IA; Julie (Mark) Smith of Durant, OK; Jill (Darin) Ferry of Portsmouth, IA; and Jodi Hargens of Council Bluffs, IA; 13 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Living sisters, Marlene (Leo) Zimmerman of Griswold, IA; Lila (Dennis) Forke of Fairfax, IA; and Lori (Darrell) Voege of Grand Island, NE.
In 1957, he met a cute little red head walking home from school on Main Street in Manilla, IA. The story is that he had to drive around the block a couple of times before he and his cousin pulled over to talk to her and her friend. Arden married Gloria Jean Lahr on May 1, 1959 in Omaha, NE. The couple initially lived in Gray, IA for a short period of time before moving to Carroll then to Vail. The family briefly lived in Umatilla, OR in 1978 before relocating to Manilla, IA. Arden and Gloria then lived on the Hargens farm for a few years ultimately settling in Earling, IA in 2009.
Arden worked a variety of jobs over the years. While in Vail, he volunteered for the fire department and was a bulldozer operator for Bill Blair while raising 5 daughters. The majority of his employment was working in a packing plant. He was employed through IBP, Dubuque Packing and Farmland Foods. After 35 years of cutting meat, he retired in 2005.
Hunting and fishing were two of his most favorite things to do while growing up. After a holiday gathering on the Hargens farm, it was tradition for Arden and his nephews to wander outside and “check out” the birds or squirrels. He was known as the “Iron Man” on his CB handle. He was always tinkering on something that needed welding. He enjoyed scrapping iron and hauling loads of scrap metal to Quandt Auto salvage for extra cash for his family. He never owned a new vehicle but rather would challenge himself by buying a used vehicle in which he would always work on as his own mechanic.
Nascar was a favorite past time with Dale Earnhardt as his driver. He enjoyed winning a few bucks at Bingo then going to casinos and losing a few bucks. He and Gloria loved to travel to Texas and even attended a few Dallas Cowboys football games. Iowa Hawkeyes were his favorite college team only because he was married to the BEST Hawkeye fan ever! While living in Manilla, he and Gloria enjoyed bowling on local team leagues. He loved to go to auctions which soon led to collecting model cars and other novelties. Assembling model cars as well as passing time with puzzles filled his time after retirement. Gloria and Arden collected admission fees for many summers for IKM softball games. He was an avid gardener passing this love down to his children. He mother gave him the love to bird watch and try to find that rare bird in Iowa, such as the yellow cardinal!
His love of music grew over the years from Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard to Chris Stapleton and Whiskey Meyers. You could always hear Arden was close by when he would crank his tunes up in his vehicle as loud as he could go and drive real slowly until he reached his destination. He loved to watch movies and TV. Dukes of Hazzard was one of his first favorite TV series, only because of the 1969 Dodge Charger, The General Lee. His favorite movie was Hell or High Water and TV series, Yellowstone. One of the things he told his family that he would miss the most was Season 5 of Yellowstone and watching Two Broke Girls with his granddaughter, Marea.
There was always a family dog as long as his girls can remember, and a few cats along the way. His dog, Elliott was his favorite! Arden and Gloria’s favorite breed was Shelties bringing 2 into their family home, Kia and Kya. Kia was his rock. She was his last dog who lived for him, and he lived for her. Kia was peacefully laid to rest one day after Arden at the age of 15. All 3 dogs will be placed to rest with him.
When Gloria passed away in 2016, he was asked to fill her spot playing Bunko with the Earling Ladies known to him as the “Bunko Bunnies.” He enjoyed the friendships he made along the way of his life. His jet black hair never grayed. He always wore blue jeans with a leather vest and cowboy boots. Occasionally, one might see and hear him walking with his is spurs on.
Arden entered God’s kingdom on March 11, 2022 peacefully at his home. He was proceeded in death by his wife, Gloria; parents, Louie and Elsie; sister, Marion (Jr) Bartelson and brothers, Alan and Jerry Hargens.
He is survived by his daughters, Melodie (Duane) Boell of Manilla, IA; Jamie Hanson (fiancé Randy Berg) of Westside, IA; Julie (Mark) Smith of Durant, OK; Jill (Darin) Ferry of Portsmouth, IA; and Jodi Hargens of Council Bluffs, IA; 13 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Living sisters, Marlene (Leo) Zimmerman of Griswold, IA; Lila (Dennis) Forke of Fairfax, IA; and Lori (Darrell) Voege of Grand Island, NE.
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