CARL EDWIN ARFT

LAMAR- Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Daniel Funeral Home for Carl Edwin Arft, 92, a former Lamar resident that died Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, in Republic. Burial, with full military honors, will be in Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

A Masonic Rites Ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, followed by visitation.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Shriners Hospitals for Children, in care of the funeral home.

Carl Edwin Arft was born June 27, 1925 in Lamar, to Roy and Mable (Hollingshead) Arft. He grew up in the Kenoma area and graduated from Lamar High School in 1943. At age 19 he was drafted into the Army and was sent to Camp Fannin, Texas. After four months of training he was sent to the Philippine Islands, serving in the 6th Infantry Division as a 1st Scout. His division was scheduled to invade Japan when the war ended abruptly by the advent of the atomic bomb. After the war, he went to Korea for eight months of occupation duty.

Upon his return to Kenoma, he married Helen E. Gardner on Oct. 14, 1947. They purchased a small travel home and drove to Hanford, Wash., where he worked on the construction of the atomic bomb plant. In 1949, they moved to Challenge, Calif., where he worked in the logging business with his brothers-in-law, Don and Rex Gardner. To be closer to family, they bought a farm two miles north of Milford, where they built a large farming operation and raised cattle. He and his wife worked together, complimenting each other strengths, making their farm successful. In 1996, part of the farm was sold and they relocated to Lamar.

Mr. Arft became an insurance agent for the Barton County Mutual Insurance Company and in 1957 he was appointed as a director. Later he went into an insurance partnership with Floyd Joyce. After Mr. Joyce retired, Mr. Arft and Neal Smith formed an affiliation and the two merged with Richard Ryan and Gary McManis, forming the Lamar Insurance Agency, from which he retired at age 65. After retirement Mr. Arft continued to display his entrepreneurial spirit by starting and building a viable used oil field pipe business for corral construction. As well as selling the pipe, he also assisted in corral design. In 1996, he went into business with Henry Taffner and the collation became known as Arft/Taffner Pipe Yard. He retired from this venture in 2008.

Mr. Arft served on the Lamar Community Betterment Board, Boy Scouts of America and Barton County Health Department. Additionally, he was a member of the Milford Christian Church, Lamar Masonic Lodge, Springfield Abou Ben Adem Shrine, Barton County Republican Party and the Greatest Generation. He served on the board of directors for the Barton County Mutual Insurance Company for 60-years and he was a member of the Lamar Masonic Lodge for 65-years.

His wife Helen preceded him in death on June 14, 2016. He is survived by his two daughters Carland Dorris and husband Jim, Republic and Susie Keepper and husband Mark, Tulsa, Okla. Also surviving are two grandchildren, Carlen Shea Baptista and Jarub Baird from Carthage and four great grandchildren.

Although Mr. Arft enjoyed practical jokes, he could laugh at himself. This was evidenced when the Lamar Community Theatre performed “Murder in Martin County”, a parody on his black/white trash bag prank.

He will be remembered for his ready smile, practical jokes, willingness to help anyone and gift of conversation. He was loved by all.