Arlene Smith Obituary (1930 - 2026) - Blue Springs, Nebraska

With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of Arlene F. (Shafer) Smith on January 25, 2026. Arlene was born on July 2, 1930, on the Shafer family farm near Edison, Nebraska. She was one of 12 siblings. She spent the last 34 years of her life in Blue Springs, Nebraska, where she was not just a resident but an integral part of the community. Arlene was one of those people who brought warmth, joy, and love to everything and everyone she encountered. Throughout her life, Arlene dedicated herself to the noble profession of education. She proudly graduated from both the University of Nebraska and University of Illinois obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Education with honors. She was an elementary educator, and for those lucky enough to have been her students, she was not just a teacher but a mentor, friend, and guide. Arlene retired in 1992, but her influence and impact in the education sector was everlasting. Albert Einstein once said, "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge," and Arlene embodied this sentiment wholeheartedly. She is survived by her loving family: daughters Diana Meyer, and special friend, Larry Carr and Julie (John) Brozek; grandaughter Ali Meyer and significant other Dillon Roten, grandsons Nick Meyer and Brian Swauger; sisters Janice (Richard - deceased) Howman, Phyllis (Nicholas - deceased) Kantaras; brothers Sam (Donna) Shafer and Francis (Gail) Shafer; and sisters-in-law Gladys (Duane - deceased) Shafer and Karol (Donnie - deceased) Shafer; great-grandchildren Adelai, Audrick, Acharli and Azia Meyer, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Arlene was preceded in death by her beloved spouse of 60 years Boyd Smith, her parents John and Velma Shafer, daughter Joyce Ann Smith, son-in-law Lonnie Meyer, sisters and brother-in-laws Maxine (Ed) Homer and Marjorie (Duane) Ericksen, brothers and sisters-in-law Jack (Lona) Shafer and Bill (Ida) Shafer. Arlene was an avid Nebraska Husker football fan and enjoyed attending Husker games both away and home for many years. She also enjoyed traveling, NASCAR races, gardening, and camping, but especially enjoyed the family "Shafer Shindig" held every year since 1969. Arlene married her husband Boyd in Holdrege, Nebraska in 1950. They traveled extensively as they enjoyed the military lifestyle since Boyd served in and retired from the US Air Force. Arlene was proud to be a military wife. They lived in Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, Iowa, Mississippi, Alaska and Illinois before eventually retiring in Nebraska. As we mourn Arlene's passing, let's also celebrate her life, her achievements, and the love she shared with us all and one of her favorite quotes "Remember me with smiles and laughter, the way I will always remember you all. If you can only remember me with tears, you wont remember me at all". We encourage everyone touched by Arlene's life to share their memories, stories, and photos on her memorial page. It is through these shared experiences that Arlene's spirit will continue to live on, inspiring and guiding us as she always did. Please help her spirit live on through memories and photos shared on her memorial page at www.ghchapel.com. Memorial services for Arlene will be held at a later date with burial of ashes next to her beloved husband, Boyd at the Fort McPherson Veterans Cemetery in Maxwell, Nebraska. These services have been entrusted to the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home in Wymore.