May 28, 1930 – April 3, 2019
Arnold Victor Weld, 88, of Albany, formerly of Sweet Home, passed away April 3, 2019 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He passed away due to multiple organ failure at Mennonite Village Lydia’s House, located in Albany.
He was born May 28, 1930 in Hurdsfield, N.D. to Rollan and Alta Weld and completed their family of six children. He grew up and attended school in Bowden through the eighth grade.
The entire school consisted of one room with 10 students and his father as the teacher. The family moved to LaGrande in 1946 where Arnold experienced the culture shock of attending a school of 600 students. He and his folks then moved to Malone, Wash., where he graduated from Elma High school in 1950.
After working various jobs in the Malone area he enlisted in the Air Force. He served four years at McCord Air Force base in Washington state, before being discharged in December 1956 as Airman First Class.
Upon discharge Arnold moved to Sweet Home to live with his brother Lester and wife Faye. He worked for Lester at Sweet Home Sanitation and planted trees for the U.S. Forest Service before getting a job at Santiam Lumber.
He worked two years at Santiam Lumber, got laid off and immediately got a job at the Plywood Mill in Sweet Home.
In 1957 Arnold married Leola Henthorne; they had three children.
His sister-in-law Drew (Henthorne) Baldwin lived with them for seven years while she attended middle and high school. Drew has often said, “They gave me a childhood.”
After working 35 years at the mill, Arnold retired and enjoyed traveling to Mexico, Canada, England, France, Italy, Switzerland and Panama, and spending winters in Arizona.
In 1998 Arnold and Leola moved to Albany to be closer to grandchildren. He enjoyed home improvement projects, crafting walking sticks, building bird houses, camping and reading.
Arnold is survived by his three children: Monty Weld (Donna) of Dallas, Rhonda Cannon (Mike) of Albany, and Connie Hill (Paul) of Albany; eight grandchildren: Dempsey Weld (Stephanie), Ethan Weld, Dawson Weld, Andrew Cannon (Billie), Anthony Cannon (Katie), Spencer Cannon (Keli), Regen McCutcheon (Nikole), and his only granddaughter, Cheyenne McCutcheon (Dylan); and one great-granddaughter, Emory Cannon.
He is also survived by all the wonderful caregivers at Lydia’s House and staff at Mennonite Village who loved and cared for him as if he was their own.
Funeral services, held April 8 at the Evangelical Church in Sweet Home, included a pot luck and reception.
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.