Arlen Cecil Leinart

Arlen Cecil Leinart, 73, of South Sioux City, NE passed away on Friday, March 14 after a courageous battle with cancer. He left this earth with his wife and two children by his side and passed into the loving arms of our heavenly Father.

Services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, March 21, 2025, at Peace Reformed Church in Sioux City, with visitation one hour prior at 9:30 A.M. A luncheon will follow the service, and interment will take place at West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City, IA later that afternoon.

Arlen was born on July 13, 1951, in Sioux City, Iowa. He was raised on a farm just outside of Walthill, NE where his lifelong love of all things farming was established. This upbringing was the foundation of many of his amazing qualities including his loyalty and commitment to family, his incredible work ethic, and his humility and resourcefulness. He so cherished his childhood and adolescence farming with his parents and eventually with his Uncle Wayne and was a true example of “You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.”

Arlen graduated from Walthill Public School in 1969 and then attended Wayne State College where he earned his degree in accounting. Following his college graduation, he worked at Goldenrod Hills in Walthill, the Carl T. Curtis Health Center in Macy, NE, and farmed with his dad and uncle. In 1980 Arlen took a job as an accountant at Kind & Knox Gelatin (now Gelita) in Sergeant Bluff, IA, where he worked for 38 years until his retirement in 2018.

In 1981 he married the love of his life, Carla Pennings, in Orange City, IA, after more than eight years of persistence. The couple settled in South Sioux City, NE where they raised their two children, Megan and David. They eventually built their dream home on an acreage outside of South Sioux. Arlen poured his heart and soul into creating the perfect home for his family, planting more than 400 trees, growing countless fruits and vegetables in his garden, and creating an idyllic setting where he could utilize many of his farming skills.

Arlen loved spending time with his wife, children, and two granddaughters whom he adored and who adored him. In recent years, he and his family loved traveling together, and made trips to Philadelphia, New York City, Washington, DC, Phoenix, AZ, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, AZ, Orlando, FL, and the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, FL. Most recently, he and his wife celebrated their 40th anniversary with a trip to Alaska. During his too-short retirement, he enjoyed working on his acreage, building and restoring toys for his grandchildren, visiting his daughter when she lived in Philadelphia, and attending tractor pulls and drag races with his son.

Arlen and his wife were longtime members of Peace Reformed Church in Sioux City, IA. There, he served as a Deacon, as well as on the Building Financial Committee.

Arlen leaves behind by his beloved wife of more than 43 years, Carla; a daughter, Megan, of Lincoln, NE; son David (Terissa), of Hull, IA; and his two granddaughters Kinley and Aubrey Leinart. He is also survived by his brother Kevin (Sara) of Dakota City, NE, niece and nephew Julie Thernes and Justin Leinart; brother-in-law Clark (Merilee) Pennings, and niece and nephew, Meredith (Tim) Ennema and Tyler (Alex) Pennings; and brother-in-law Craig (Leah) Pennings, and niece and nephews Juliana (Andrew) Bloemendaal, and Colin (Kalyn) and Carter Pennings. He is also survived by two aunts, Elaine Mitchell and Grace Mitchell, as well as many cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents Cecil and Mary Leinart, and in-laws Carl and Marlys Pennings, as well as his grandparents and several aunts and uncles.