Marcella Lucille Arnold

Marcella Lucille Arnold crossed the finish line at the age of 95, she passed on many traits to other family members. Marcella was strong, self-made and independent all of her life. Family was most important to her.

A funeral service will be held 11am Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at the Schapville Zion Presbyterian Church followed by burial in Woodbine Cemetery. Visitation will take place 4 – 7pm Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at Law Jones Funeral Home in Elizabeth, Illinois, and one hour prior to the service at the Church on Wednesday. A luncheon will take place at Woodbine Bend following the Committal Service at the cemetery. Friends and family who wish to watch the livestream may do so at https://www.facebook.com/groups/855156126062920/?ref=share_group_link

Marcella was born August 19, 1928 in Elizabeth, IL the daughter of Ralph and Louise (Fahrion) Guenzler. Marcella attended the Barrett Country School in Derinda Township, then the nearby Pleasant Hill Country School in Hanover Township through 8th grade. As a young lady she worked as a “nanny” and cleaned houses. Marcella married Wayne Arnold October 20, 1950 in the Furst United Methodist Church of Elizabeth. They raised four children, Thomas, Linda, Keith, and Verlyn, and celebrated 37 years of marriage until Wayne’s passing in 1988.

After marriage, Marcella joined Wayne in operating the family dairy farm north of Woodbine. She was in charge of raising the calves and enlisted her children to help as soon as they became able. One hundred laying hens were also in her charge, with eggs not used at home taken weekly to Bishops Big Busy Store, Elizabeth, in exchange for groceries not raised on the farm. She tended a large vegetable garden and canned everything that was not consumed fresh, providing homegrown food year-round. She prepared three large meals for the family most every day.

In 1986, Marcella and Wayne received the Illinois Conservation Farm Family of the Year Award, being recognized in the county, region, and state for farming practices conserving soil and water. The Arnold Farm was also recognized that year by the Governor as an Illinois Centennial Farm.

Marcella was a 4-H leader for many years, leading the Salem Sisters Club. She was actively involved in Illinois Homemakers Extension Federation on the local, state, and national levels. Through this organization she traveled internationally to Holland and Australia as a voting delegate to the Associated Country Women of the World, the largest international organization for rural and urban women. She served 9 years as the first woman Clerk of Session for the Schapville Presbyterian Church, also holding officer positions in the state and national United Presbyterian Women organizations. She was the first woman elected to the Jo Daviess County Soil and Water Conservation District board, a position held for 12 years, and served as its President. She was a volunteer for Hospice of Northwest Illinois located in Stockton and an active member of the League of Women Voters of Jo Daviess County.

Marcella will be dearly missed by her four children, Thomas (Jessica) Arnold, Elizabeth IL; Linda Baake (Vasco Petrucci) Castiglione del Lago, Perugia, Italy; Keith (Gayle) Arnold and Verlyn (Irma) Arnold, Stockton IL; 12 grandchildren Vanessa (Ian) McClune, Andrew Arnold; Cody Arnold, Carmen (Ganesh) Gutter, Nina (Julian) Baake-Merz, Tasha (Charles) Feltmeyer, Kyle (Kim) Arnold, Josh (Shannon) Arnold, Gene (Skylar) Arnold, Courtney (Lee) Hightower, Carlos Lagunes, and Reyna Valdovinos; 17 great-grandchildren, Eliza McClune, Kyla and Karah Arnold, Gracie and Cooper Raab, Emmett Staver, Arya and Haylen Scott, Frieda and Leon Gutter, Marlee and Wayne Feltmeyer, Keeva Arnold, Freya Arnold, Madison Anderson, and Ellamae and Rayland Hightower; her sister, Carolyn Streicher of Freeport; and her brother, Sherman Guenzler of Chadwick.

Marcella is preceded in death her husband Wayne, father Ralph, mother Louise, brother Earl Guenzler, sister Delma Blair, brothers-in-law Wayne Blair and Orville Streicher, sister-in-law Betty Guenzler, and niece Bonnie Blair.