Arleen Haberthier Booe

Arleen Haberthier Booe was born on June 7, 1928 in Saint Louis County, Missouri. She is the eldest of seven children born to Hazel Helmer Wynne and Benjamin Harrison Haberthier who are now deceased. It is her five daughters and her husband who are honoring her.

For the past six years Arleen has served on the South Central Council on Ministries of the Nebraska Methodist Church. She is the lay representative to the council for all Methodist churches in the district. Arleen was an early active member of the Prison Fellowship Movement, begun by Charles Colson, and continues to work with inmates at Hastings Regional Corrections Center, helping them prepare for life and work beyond prison.

Although Arleen enjoys her work with adults, she is more likely to be found contributing to the many and varied activities of children and young people. She has served as a Sunday school teacher in the Methodist Church for 36 years. It is not unusual to have former students call to thank her or stop by to tell her how much they appreciate the help and guidance she provided them when they were younger. She also spent many years as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader; and countless hours working with families of persons who struggle with alcohol and chemical dependency through the Al-Anon Al-Ateen and Al-Akids programs.

She attended both Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa and Drake University in Des Moines where she was a charter member of Phi Mu Zeta Delta chapter. Arleen worked at Meredith Publishing Company before moving to Chicago where she met her husband of 45 years. Shortly after her marriage and the birth of her eldest child Monica, she returned to Iowa. Dawn, Robin, and Sheila were born in Mason City, Iowa, and her youngest daughter Amy was born in Hastings, Nebraska where Arleen has lived and worked for the past 37 years.

Arleen worked as an enumerator for the U.S. Census Bureau for 27 years. In this capacity she conducted a variety of surveys for the government. She was perfectly suited to this position as she is to all her work with people of all ages because Arleen genuinely likes people. As Dad put it "she is highly regarded and respected by all who know and love her in the community, and especially in her personal relationships."

She is immensely loved by her family.
April 1997