Mrs. Arlene Rainey

Arlene Rainey, age 98, of Atlantic, IA, passed away on Sunday, November 27, 2022, at the Heritage House in Atlantic, IA.

Arlene Schwartz Rainey, daughter of Henry Schwartz and Blanche Zimmerman, was born on September 23, 1924, in a farmhouse near Marne Iowa. When she was three, Arlene’s mother passed away. Arlene had fond memories of the 160-acre farm where she, her older sister Betty, and her father lived for the next 9 years. She recalled riding her pony to bring in the cows for milking; sitting on a branch of a mulberry tree to eat the berries in the spring; walking with her sister and neighbor kids, lunch pails in hand, to the country school a quarter mile away; and pulling a sled with her father and Betty across fields and over snow drifts to pick up groceries at her uncle’s store during a time when the farm was snowed in for six weeks.

Her father moved the family to Atlantic when Arlene finished 8th grade. She loved playing intermural basketball during her four years at Atlantic High School. At 5’ 2” she was a guard! After graduating from school, she moved to Southern California where she worked for McDonald Douglas Aircraft as a machinist and married for the first time. After World War II ended, she returned to Atlantic. Arlene married again, raised her four children, and started playing golf. She moved to Orange County California in the early 1970s to help at her stepmother’s beauty shop. Arlene eventually purchased the shop and ran it until she retired in 1989. Still playing golf, she also started taking square dancing lessons in 1981 where met the love of her life, Richard Rainey.

After retirement, Arlene and Richard moved from California to Las Vegas, NV where they were married in 1999. To stay active, Arlene played golf and traveled with Richard. Arlene and Richard moved to Atlantic in 2001. They continued to travel with their fifth-wheel camper across the U.S. and wintered in Texas for several years. Arlene joined Atlantic’s Red Hat Society or “Ladies” as she referred to them. She also served as vice president and president of the Heritage House Guild for a number of years. Richard and Arlene moved to the Heritage House in 2012. While in her early 90s, Arlene was especially proud of being asked to lead exercise classes for Heritage House residents when the regular instructor was away.

She is preceded in death by her husband Richard, her parents, sister Betty Lund, and son Philip Turner.

The “Book of Life” has closed on Arlene, but she will live on in the memories of her children Alan (Sara) Turner, Lisa (Lamont Hinton) Covell, and John (Joy) Covell; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and extended family and friends.

The family asks that any memorial gifts be sent to the Heritage House Good Samaritan Fund, 1200 Brookridge Cir, Atlantic, IA 50022. Arlene’s children cannot ever thank the Director and the entire staff of the Heritage House enough for the care and support their mother received during her residence there.

Graveside service will take at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 09, 2022, at the Atlantic Cemetery, Atlantic, IA.

The staff at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home is handling the arrangements for the Rainey Family.