Obituary of Arvin Ditsworth

Arvin C. Ditsworth was born on December 2, 1933, the son of Elmer and Marie (Madsen) Ditsworth in Kossuth, County, Iowa. He was raised and educated in Swea City, Iowa, graduating from Swea City High School. He then attended and graduated from Mankato Teachers College in Mankato, Minnesota. On June 12, 1955 Arvin was joined in marriage to Joan C. Drake. Arvin served in the U.S. Navy and after his honorable discharge, he and Joan moved to Mapleton, Minnesota where he worked at Alleven Ford for several years. God blessed their marriage with a daughter and two sons. In 1972 Arvin purchased a Ford Dealership and moved his family to Spirit Lake where they lived for several years. They later moved back to the Mankato area where he continued to work in the car business and later at Carlson Craft. Arvin officially retired when he received his cancer diagnosis and he and Joan moved back to Spirit Lake to be closer to family. A devout Christian and member of several Lutheran churches, Arvin served on several church boards. He was a long time member and past president of Kiwanis in Spirit Lake. He was a very loving husband, father and grandfather and was always willing to spend time with his family. His children have great memories of the many wonderful trips he took them on. He bought a lake cabin, had several boats, and the family will always remember special times spent together boating, skiing, swimming and just playing at the lake. He was a very honest and patient man, who always tried to do his best, and treated everyone fairly. He was always willing to lend a hand to help family and friends or anyone in need. Arvin died Friday, August 8, 2008 at the Milford Nursing Center, after a courageous battle with colon cancer, at seventy-four years of age. Arvin is survived by his wife, Joan; daughter, Amy Nielsen and her husband, Steve of Mason City, Iowa, sons, Tom Ditsworth and his wife, Deb of Spirit Lake, and Lee Ditsworth and his wife, Ann of Lake Park, Iowa; grandchildren, Christina (Grant) Maulsby and their two children Kaylee and Malachi, Nick Calgaard, Erica Calgaard, Courtney Ditsworth, Drake Ditsworth and Lauren Ditsworth. Also surviving are step-grandchildren Dani (Kevin) Uetz and their son Hudson, Cari (Leland) Wittman and their three daughters Jayden, Prestyn and Hayven and Joey Nielsen. He was preceded in death by his parents, father and mother-in-law, his brother, Wendell Ditsworth, sister, Virginia Blomster, and one brother-in-law.