A.’s Obituary On August 2, 1927 Agnes Arlene Ayers was born to Harold Jay and Anna Sarah Cox Bremerman in Minneapolis, Kansas. That date was the birthday of her great-grandmother, Agnes Fox Gawith, for whom she was named. She went to her final sleep on April 13, 2019 at the home of her daughter.
Arlene was the oldest of two children. She graduated from high school in Longford, Kansas in May 1945. She was married to Howard Stanley Beals on July 17, 1944 while he was in the Navy.
Their only child, Barbara Arlene, was born May 2, 1946 in Clay Center, Kansas. They divorced in October 1949. Arlene worked for Bartsch’s IGA, Stein’s Drug Store and Boogaarts Grocery while living in Minneapolis.
In August 1952 she moved to Fort Benton, Montana, where she married Wilbur (Bill) Leslie Ayers on September 6 of that year. They lost a son at birth on July 31, 1953. She began working for county attorney A. Evon Anderson in 1965 and continued until that office closed.
From November 1966 to July 1968, she worked at the River Press office. Her next position was bookkeeper at the Pioneer Mercantile from July 1968 until December 31, 1982. She then worked at the Sunrise Bluffs retirement home until she retired January 1989.
She was active in bowling beginning in 1954 and earned several awards on the state level. She coached junior bowling until 1984. For 30 years she served as secretary of the Fort Benton Women’s Bowling Association.
In addition, she served on the state bowling board for six years and was secretary for various leagues. After retirement, she continued to sew and do alterations for area residents. She made wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and earned awards at the county fair.
It was her joy to make wedding gowns for both granddaughters. Flower gardening was a favorite pastime, especially her roses. In earlier years she had a very large garden and canned much food for the winter.
Other positions through the years included being superintendent of floriculture at the Chouteau County Fair for a number of years and serving as public administrator for Chouteau County for eight years. She made several trips to Magnolia and Burley to visit family. She had been staying with her daughter for the past eight months.
There her constant companion was their chihuahua, Frosty, who cuddled with her much of the time. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Bill; and a brother Donald. Survivors include daughter Barbara (Jerry) Lankford of Burley, Idaho; granddaughter Michelle (Richard) Baskin of Magnolia, Arkansas; granddaughter Janette (Kirk) Barnes of Burley, Idaho; great-grandchildren Sean, Skyler and Emily Baskin and Daniel, Sarah and Charles Barnes; and sister-in-law Carol Bremerman of Salina, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers, she requested memorial donations to the Fort Benton United Methodist Church, Memorial Ambulance of Fort Benton, Fort Benton Junior Bowling or an organization of the donor’s choice. A memorial service will be held at the Fort Benton United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 30, 2019. Burial will take place later in Minneapolis, Kansas.
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