Henrietta “Etta” Arnt

Henrietta “Etta” Ann (Pool) Arnt, age 95 of Tracy, passed away Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at Benedictine Living Community in St. Peter while under hospice care.  Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 10 at Tracy Lutheran Church with a livestream on Stephens Funeral Service Facebook page.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at church on Monday.  Interment is in Luther Cemetery, rural Tracy.  Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, guests will be required to wear a mask and practice social distancing guidelines. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Luther Cemetery, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, or a hospice of the donor’s choice.  Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Henrietta “Etta” Ann (Pool) Arnt was born September 16, 1925 to Stephen and Alma (Runge) Pool in Slayton, Minnesota.  She was one of 13 children.  She attended school in Lake Wilson and then Garvin country school through the 8^th grade.  At age 18, Etta moved to Tracy and worked at a grocery store until June 1947 when she was united in marriage to Peder “James” Arnt.  The couple farmed northwest of Walnut Grove and raised 10 children there until James’ death in 1970.  Etta went back to school and earned her GED in 1971.  She was a lifelong member of the Ladies’ VFW Auxiliary and Tracy Lutheran Church.  She loved gardening, crocheting, and reading.  In her younger years, she danced the Polka at nearby ballrooms.  She stayed young by walking many miles around town.  Etta worked various jobs in Tracy, and at her sister’s café, Dorothy’s Cafe, in Walnut Grove until her marriage to Joseph Garvin in November 1985.  They wintered 15 years in Mesa, Arizona until making Tracy their year-round home in 2000. 

Etta is survived by her children: Lynn (Gene) Teufert of Brainerd, JoAnn (Ed) Assad of Minneapolis, Barbara Arnt of Maple Grove, Ellen (Paul) Malone of Slayton, Ann (Darriel) Boerboom of Marshall, Loretta (Harry) Arnt-Algyer of Prior Lake, Jay (Jeanine) Arnt of Loveland, CO; daughter-in-law Pat  Arnt of Worthington; 22 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren with 2 on the way; sister Carol Grunwald of Owatonna; brother Robert Pool of Minneapolis; sisters-in-law June Pool of Marshall and Betty Pool of Tracy.  She is preceded in death by her parents, first husband James, second husband Joseph, sons James and Jon, daughter Jean, siblings Sylvia Pool, Mildred Garvin, Dorothy Rabe, Amy Koepke, William, John, Herbert, Stephen, George and Alvin Pool and many other loved ones.