- Date Of Birth: September 26, 1919
- Date Of Death: February 9, 2014
- State: Nebraska
Arnold William Bartels, 94, of Tecumseh, passed away Feb. 9, 2014 at Belle Terrace in Tecumseh. He was born to Arthur and Josephine (Beckmann) Bartels on Sept. 26, 1919 near Elk Creek, Nebraska. Arnold was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Tecumseh in Oct. 5, 1919 and transferred with his family to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Elk Creek in 1925. He was confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Elk Creek on May 28, 1933. Arnold transferred his membership back to St. John’s Lutheran in Tecumseh in 1985. He attended Elk Creek High School and received his GED while he was in the service. He attended UNL College of Agriculture for one year.
Arnold entered the Army-Air Corp on Sept. 28, 1941 and discharged Jan. 31, 1964 after serving 22 years in the military. Arnold served during both WWII and the Korean Conflict in the Philippines, Japan and Korea. He was engineer instructor on B-24 MASH and freight cargo in the Philippines. He served as flight chief on various aircraft throughout his service. He served as Quality Control at SAC Air Force Base as a mechanic and CCAM Embassy in Korea. He was Quality Control and Director of the Maintenance Office at SAC and did maintenance of B-52 bomber planes in Sawyer, Michigan and ended his career at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue. After his military career was over, Arnold returned the family farm and farmed for over 20 years until retiring in 1985 and moving into Tecumseh.
Arnold married Delores Irene Little at the First United Methodist Church in Tecumseh on May 18, 1985. She passed away on April 16, 1989. He taught Sunday School at St. Peter’s Lutheran and was a member of Lutheran Laymen’s League, Tracy-Bates American Legion Post #370 of Elk Creek, life member of V.F.W. Post #8221 of Tecumseh, Tecumseh Kiwanis Club and Johnson County Farm Bureau.
He is survived by his sister, Oleta Popp and husband Richard Denver, CO, brothers, Robert Bartels and wife Mildred of Steinauer and Raymond Bartels and wife June of Elk Creek, many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, sister-in-law, Naomi Bartels of Hickory, NC, step-children, Frances Little of Beatrice, David Little and wife Pat of Tecumseh and Margaret Wilson and husband Dwight of Lincoln.
Arnold was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Delores, brothers, Edsel, Earl and Vernon Bartels, sister, Bernice Geisler, and in-laws, Paul Geisler, Doris Bartels and Linda Bartels.
