Arlene Evelyn Smeby, 93, of Owatonna MN died August 22, 2011 at Homestead Hospice House. Arlene was born on June 10, 1918 near Warren, MN, the daughter of Karl Otto and Maren Kristine (Ditlefsen) Mortensen. She was the 6th of 10 children and lost both her parents when she was 8 years old and then lived at the Wild Rice Children''s home in Twin Valley, MN along with 5 of her siblings. When she was 11, she went to live with foster parents Nora and Martin Christianson. She moved to Austin, MN to be near her siblings in 1936 and worked on the first Spam line at the Hormel plant. She was married to Harold F. Smeby on July 31, 1938 at Moscow Lutheran Church, Moscow Township, MN. Arlene and Harold were married for 58 years. During the 1950s they owned and operated the Gambles Hardware Store in Lyle, MN. Arlene worked at Austin Drug Store for many years before retiring to Sunsites, AZ where she and Harold resided for 20 years. Harold and Arlene moved to Owatonna in 1995 to be near family. Throughout her life, wherever she lived, Arlene was an active member of church and community clubs and organizations. She was a longtime volunteer with Hospital Auxiliaries and the Red Cross. Arlene enjoyed music, golfing, entertaining, playing cards making crafts and during her later years made comfort pillows for the Gillette Children''s Hospital and eyeglass cases for the Owatonna Hospital surgery patients. She donated over 11, 000 eyeglass cases to the hospital. Arlene is survived by her daughters, Lois (Dale) Frondal of Danville KY, Jean Mattson of Owatonna MN and Kimberly (Robert) Nuez of Phoenix AZ; 7 grandchildren: Scott (Kaari) Frondal of Apple Valley MN, Gregg (Dana) Frondal of Danville KY, Jennifer (Mark) Willoughby of Hermantown MN, Sara (Dave) Golden of Lakeland MN, Sven Matthew Mattson of Minneapolis MN, Joseph Nuez of Phoenix AZ, and Stephanie Nuez of Phoenix AZ; 13 great grandchildren: Kayla, Jenna and Ricky Kothenbeutel, Christopher and Shelby Frondal, Alexander, Benjamin and Luke Willoughby, Max, Sam and Abby Golden, Andrew Mattson Bates, Gunnar Nuez,; sisters Florence Glover of Austin MN, Dorothy Nelson of Oak Harbor WA; brother Robert Karstensen of Marengo IL; sisters-in-law: Vera Mortensen, Gloria Mortensen, Janet Bothun, Adela Smeby, Norma Smeby; foster sisters Doris (Gordon) Lindberg, Arlys (Harold) Hanson and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. Arlene was preceded in death by her husband, Harold in 1996, an infant grandson, her parents Karl and Maren Mortensen, foster parents Nora Christianson and Martin (Trudy) Christianson, sisters Agnes Hedquist, Gladys Nelsen, Marcine Baty; and brothers Carl, Allan and Victor Mortensen. Arlene''s family gives special thanks to the staff of the Owatonna Hospice system for their exceptional care of our mother during the last two months. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Homestead Hospice House of Owatonna or the Trinity Lutheran Church building fund. Visitation will be at Trinity Lutheran Church on Friday, August 26, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Funeral services will be held Friday, August 26, 2011 at 11:00 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church with The Reverend Julie Malone officiating. Interment will be in the Moscow Lutheran Cemetery, Moscow Township later that day in a private family service. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Homestead Hospice House of Owatonna or the Trinity Lutheran Church building fund. Visitation: 08/26/2011 10:00 08/26/2011 11:00 Service: 08/26/2011 11:00