Arlene Leona Koutnik, 84, died Saturday, May 23, 2008, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes.
Her memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 31, 2008, at the Community Alliance Church with Pastor John Chapman officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held immediately after the service at the church. A private burial will take place later at the Highland Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Arlene’s honor may be made to First Baptist Church C/O John Chapman, 625 Fourth Ave., Havre, MT 59501 or Your Network of Praise/KXEI Box 2426, Havre, MT 59501. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook. Arlene was born Oct. 3, 1923, in Wallace, Mich., to Fred and Stella Roubal. She was raised in Wallace on her parents’ dairy farm and attended Wallace Country School. On Oct. 7, 1944, Arlene married Robert “Bob” Koutnik in Menominee, Mich. To this union four children were born: Randy, Kathy, Trease and Cindy. Arlene spent the majority of her life being a homemaker. From 1968 to 1975 Arlene was a teachers aid in the Kremlin and KG school districts, a job she very much enjoyed. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Kremlin Homemakers Club and numerous Bowling Leagues. Throughout the years Arlene attended Kremlin Lutheran Church, Gildford Baptist Church, Fifth Ave Christian Church, and First Baptist Church. Arlene enjoyed reading and collecting chickens or roosters in various forms. The major highlight of her life was accepting Jesus as her Savior in March 1973, and then several years later being baptized by her son Randy at a church camp. She was very proud of her children and grandchildren and attended as many events as she could that they participated in. During her years at the Care Center, she developed many close friendships with her care givers. Of special remembrance were her wheel chair races with Clint Widdekind and breakfast at his cabin last fall in the Bears Paw Mountains. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Stella Roubal; husband, Robert, in 1986; brother, Fredrick Roubal. Arlene is survived by her four children Randy (Laurie) Koutnik of Helena, Kathy Burchard of Havre; Trease Bertsch of Meridian, Idaho, and Cindy (Butch) Marshall of Spokane, Wash.; two sisters, Jeanette Paulson and Grace Theuerkauf both of Menominee, Mich.; and brother Lenny Roubal of Florida and Colorado; nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 1 great-greatgrandchild.
