Arnold E. Dampman

Arnold E. Dampman, age 83, of Lanark, IL, passed away Saturday, June 29, 2024 at OSF St. Anthony’s Hospital in Rockford, IL. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 3, at Lanark Church of the Brethren, at 11 a.m. Visitation will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2, as well as one hour prior to Wednesday’s service. Burial will follow at Lanark Cemetery.

Arnold was born August 8, 1940, in Sterling, IL, the son of Max and Carrie (Schilling) Dampman. He graduated from Lanark High School with the class of 1958 and immediately went to work full time on the family farm alongside his father and brother. Looking to make his way in the world, the best he could, Arnold also began working nights at Kraft Foods in Milledgeville, but it wasn’t long before his brother, Don, was drafted into the armed forces.

This was an extremely difficult period in Arnold’s life. He had already lost a brother in childhood, and now his lone surviving brother was being shipped out to serve in Vietnam. Combine that with the prospect of working two jobs, one of which (farming) was now a man down, and one could see how much pressure Arnold must have felt. But growing up on the farm prepared him for the challenges of life, and he made his family (and years later, his future family) proud during those years. They helped to shape him into the hard worker and family leader he would become, in the decades to follow.

It was God’s will that Don returned safely, and eventually Arnold and his brother took over the family farm from their father. They tended to various crops and livestock for many years.

On September 15, 1973, Arnold married Helen Krum in Brookville, IL. They had a son, Mark, and Arnold and Helen began passing on the values of hard work and love for family to their son, and eventually grandchildren.

Arnold was quite the fan of John Deere tractors; collecting them and working on them, regularly throughout his life. In fact, he rarely left the house without a John Deere belt buckle. He, Helen, and their son attended numerous antique tractor shows over the years.

One of Arnold’s simple pleasures in life was going out to eat. In his working years he would drive to the Highway Café, in Lanark, every morning to have his bowl of oatmeal alongside his local farmer friends. They spent each morning solving all the world’s problems before heading off to the day’s work. Once the chores were done, Arnold loved taking his bride out to restaurants, as well.

As he settled into the twilight years of his life, Arnold found joy in time spent with his grandchildren, and relaxing with a classic western playing on the TV.

Arnold will be dearly missed by his wife of nearly 50 years, Helen; son, Mark (Kristy) Dampman, of Pearl City; grandchildren, Dylan Holland, Aiden Dampman, Anna Dampman, Mason Dampman, and Maxx Dampman; brother, Don (Judy) Dampman, of Lanark; and brother-in-law, Danny (Linda Truckenmiller) Krum. Arnold is preceded in death by his parents, Max and Carrie; brother, Bennett Dampman; and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Henry and Marie Krum.