Arlan Robert Upton was born Dec. 1, 1936, to James and Grace (Miller) Upton in his grandparent’s farmhouse northeast of Madison. Arlan was the youngest of four children and passed away Sept. 20, 2023, at 11:55 a.m. He was 86 years, 9 months, and 19 days of age.
Arlan’s family moved to Meadow Grove, where he attended grade school and later attended Meadow Grove High School. After school, Arlan worked road construction for Theison Brothers Construction, Osmond, from 1958-1967. On Dec. 26, 1965, in Norfolk, Arlan was united in marriage to Dorothy (Bolte) Lilly. He adopted Dorothy’s three children, (Douglas, Debra, Todd) from a previous marriage and Arlan treated them as if they were his own. In 1968, Arlan and Dorothy had another son and they named him Marty. Arlan continued his career in construction, mainly driving front- end loaders for Dobson Brothers Construction Company of Lincoln, for more than 40 years before his retirement in 2006.
Arlan loved going to antique auctions. He also had a love of gardening. He planted a lot of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers and he gave away the excess. He loved sharing his vegetables with family and friends and continued that joy till the end. He also loved to dance. He would take his wife, Dorothy, dancing regularly in their early years of marriage and taught his young daughter, Debi, how to dance. He also loved to go camping and would take his family up to Lake North in Columbus a lot. He would join his friends from work and others he had met through the years at the lake.
He also taught his boys how to hunt and took them regularly with his friends in the winter. Arlan was also an avid trapper and skinner and taught his sons the same. He loved to play cards and taught his children how to play. Arlan played a lot of pitch at home with his wife and children, especially during the cold winter months. He taught his children it doesn’t matter if you lose by one or 50 points, you still lose; so just take a chance. That was his philosophy in life.
He was a man who was loved and respected dearly for many reasons by his family and friends. Arlan was a devoted loving husband and father. Arlan always had a helping hand for his family and friends. He was an excellent listener and loyal to a fault. He was a member of the Beaver Crossing Methodist Church for more than 50 years. He will be missed immensely by his wife, children, relatives, and friends.
Arlan is survived by his wife of 57 years, Dorothy Upton; children, Douglas and Donna Upton and Debra Upton all of Beaver Crossing, Todd and Cheri Upton, Marty and Kristen Upton all of Lincoln; grandson, James Upton; granddaughters, Brandi, Courtney, KayCee, Arissa, Madelynn, and Julia Upton; nine great-granddaughters; two sisters, Adelia (Upton) Brader of Norfolk and Opal (Upton) Wondercheck of Albion; sister-in-law, Mary Bolte of Beaver Crossing; and a host of nieces and nephews along with a lot of relatives and friends.
Arlan was preceded in death by his parents, James and Grace Upton; father and mother-in-law, Wallace and Helen Bolte; infant grandson, Wallace Angel; brother, Gerald Upton; nephew, Doug Brader; niece, Lori (Upton) Nordmeyer; brothers-in-law, Don Bolte, Marvin Bolte, William Wondercheck and Marvin Brader; and sister-in-law, Sharon Bolte.
The funeral service was Sept. 25 at the Beaver Crossing United Methodist Church with burial at Beaver Crossing Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to the family. Arrangements by Lauber Funeral and Cremation Services.
