Arnold Curley Sr.

ARNOLD CURLEY SR.

Oxford Junction

Arnold Lee Curley Sr., 79, a resident of Oxford Junction, passed away Monday, Jan. 26, 2015, at home with his family. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oxford Junction. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Oxford Junction American Legion Hall with a Scripture service at 7:30 p.m. Burial with military honors will be at Mayflower Cemetery in Oxford Junction.

Arnold was born Nov. 9, 1935, in Hale, Iowa, the son of Raymond and Anna (Leslie) Curley. He attended country school outside of Hale until the family moved to a farm near Clarence, Iowa. He attended Clarence public schools through the eighth grade.

On Jan. 6, 1953, Arnold enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged on Jan. 5, 1956. After boot camp, he served in the Korean War as a machine gunner/infantry man in the First Marine Division with Fox 2/7 fighting on the 38th parallel. After the war, he served in Hawaii and Camp Pendleton (California) in the military police. Arnold was very proud to be a Marine and carried the esprit de corps with him throughout his life, sharing his loyalty and pride of being a Marine with his family and friends.

Arnold spent his entire life enjoying the outdoors and was known by everyone in the area for his expertise in trapping and fishing. He often shared his bounty with others and would teach only those that he selected to receive his woodsman trade. Arnold's passion to be the best in what he did was obvious by the results of his catch no matter the season of the year. He was first united in marriage to Julia T. Manglona. He then was united in marriage to Shirley Welsh.

Arnold worked various jobs through the years: farmhand as a teenager, automotive painting (California), worked for the railroad (Clinton), residential painter (Cedar Rapids), factory work (Maquoketa), Bahl Lumber (Oxford Junction) and finally throughout his life an outdoorsman raising and harvesting ginseng, collecting and selling wild seeds and nuts and trapping throughout Iowa and many other states.

Arnold is survived by his wife, Shirley; his children, Arnold Lee "Buckshot" Curley, Iowa City, Jeanette Williams, Jacksonville, Fla., Teresa (Randy) Nissen, DeWitt, Jesse Curley (Robin) Jacksonville, Fla., Gary Curley, Jacksonville, Fla., Victor (Heather) Curley, Stanwood and Craig Curley (Sybil Zmolek), Stewartville, Minn.; his daughter-in-law, Joann Wiebke-Curley, Caledonia, Minn.; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his siblings, Keith Curley, Alaska, Beverly Yarolem, Monmouth, Margie Taylor, Alaska, Elizabeth (Caylop) Minchew, Alabama, Larry (Marlene) Curley, Oxford Mills, Lyle (Gwen) Curley, Alabama, Wayne (Loretta) Curley, California, twins, Danny (Kathy) Curley, Clarence and Dennis (Diane) Curley, Alaska, Rex Curley, Alaska, Peggy (Chuck) Wolfe, Dixon, Bonnie Kuehl, Walcott, and Mary Score, Marion; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Raymond Jr.; sister, Marsha; and two grandchildren, Troy Lee and Evan.

Memorials may be made in his memory to the Semper Fi Fund at www.SemperFiFund.org; Oxford Junction American Legion Auxiliary or Above and Beyond Hospice, Monticello.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.laheys.com.