Arlene Mae Crittenden

Arlene Mae Crittenden, age 69, of Sioux Falls and formerly of Colton passed away Thursday, April 6, 2006 in Laredo, Texas. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 A.M. Tuesday, April 11, 2006 at St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church, rural Colton. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be Monday, April 10, 2006 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Minnehaha Funeral Home in Colton.


Arlene Mae was born July 18, 1936 to parents James and Fredrica (Kuhl) Westra in Doon, Iowa. She graduated from Washington Senior High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1954.

Arlene married Richard H. Crittenden June 7, 1954 at Ft. Bellevue, Virginia. The couple moved near Crooks, South Dakota in 1957 to farm. They moved to Colton, South Dakota in 1964 to own and operate Rick’s Service. They moved to the family farm near Colton in 1970. Arlene started working for Litton Microwave in 1979 and retired from Electronic Systems, Inc. in 2001.

Richard passed away March 26, 1992.

Arlene passed away Thursday, April 6, 2006 at Mercy Hospital in Laredo, Texas at the age of 69.

Grateful for having shared her life are three sons, Paul Crittenden, Madison, South Dakota; John Crittenden and his wife Marcia, Colton, South Dakota; and Mark Crittenden and his wife Toni, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; seven grandchildren, Jason, Matthew, and Jeremy Crittenden; Kasie and her husband Jeremy Crisp; Tanyah and her husband Jason Carda; Holly and Joshua Crittenden; four great-grandchildren, Kevin and Keith Crisp; Richard and Elizabeth Carda; a brother, James Westra, Jr., Carpenterville, Illinois; two sisters, Harriet Lyons and Freda and her husband Dale Johnson, all of Lake Poinsett, South Dakota; a special friend, Don Heller, Freemont, Nebraska; and many other relatives and friends.

Arlene was preceded in death by her husband; parents; a brother, Darryle Westra; and a brother-in-law, Duane Lyons.