WODEN — Arnold D. “Arnie” Eden, 85, of Woden, passed away Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the Titonka Care Center, leaving behind a life deeply rooted in North Iowa farmland, family, faith and community service.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, September 14, at Community Chapel in Lakota, with Pastor Kent Hillesland officiating. Burial will follow at Bingham Township Cemetery south of Woden.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, September 13, at Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 310 Main St. in Woden, and will continue for one hour before Monday’s service at the church. Memorials may be directed to Gideons International.
Born July 14, 1941, to Harm and Aletta Meyer Eden, Arnie grew up on a farm southwest of Woden and spent much of his life connected to the land and community that raised him.
He attended a nearby country school as a youngster before continuing his education in Woden, graduating from Woden High School in 1959. Baseball became an early passion, and Arnie played during his high school years.
That love of the game stayed with him for decades.
Long after his playing days ended, Arnie remained part of the action by umpiring high school baseball and softball games throughout the area for many years, becoming a familiar presence on diamonds across North Iowa.
Arnie also served his country in the Army National Guard.
On June 22, 1966, he married Nancy Hoskinson. Together they built their life on the Eden family farm southwest of Woden, where they raised their children, Gene and Dawn.
Farming and livestock were central parts of Arnie’s working life. The farm was more than a place of employment; it was the setting for the family life he and Nancy created together and a continuation of the rural North Iowa roots into which he had been born.
His service extended beyond the farm.
Arnie was a longtime member of Community Chapel in Lakota and helped guide young people through his involvement as an AWANA leader at several area churches. He also served for a number of years on the North Central Coop Board.
Retirement brought Arnie and Nancy opportunities to enjoy winters in Texas while maintaining the Iowa relationships and home that had shaped their lives.
In September 2023, Arnie became a resident of Titonka Care Center.
Those carrying forward his memory include his wife of 60 years, Nancy of Woden; son Gene and his wife, Tracie, of Woden; daughter Dawn and her husband, Tom Davidson, of Austin, Minnesota; and foster daughter Nany and her husband, Willie Knipfel, of Hampton.
His grandchildren include Caleb and Makayla Eden, Riley Eden, Cooper and Jade Eden, Trevor Eden, Cassidy Davidson and Allie Davidson. He also leaves behind great-granddaughter Evelyn.
Arnie is also survived by his brother, Harvey and Donna Eden of Wesley; sister-in-law Jannean and Dean Eliason of Crystal Lake; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Irma and Don Alphs, Joann Eden, James and Judith Eden, and Donna and Jerry Yeo.
Across 85 years, Arnie’s story remained closely connected to the things that mattered most to him — the family farm, the people he loved, his faith, service to others and a baseball diamond never too far away.
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