Alma Lucille Arent

July 24th, 1926 - August 2nd, 2021

Alma's Memory Wall

We encourage you to share your most beloved memories of Alma here, so that the family and other loved ones can always see it. Share your favorite stories or comment on those shared by others.

The United States Agency for International Development is looking for Intelligent, experienced administrative and office workers whose skills in English composition, punctuation and presentation can rival any Ivy league professor. Without knowing anyone in selected foreign nations you must establish an office, hire competent staff, receive training, interrogation and approval for Secret and Top Secret communications. You must exude professionalism and possess superb people skills so that you can properly meet and interact with, high ranking diplomats, cabinet ministers and ambassadors.

Successful candidates will demonstrate the highest levels of responsibility as well as the capability to assist the management of projects and handle funds totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment and supplies to establish and build infrastructure in developing nations.

We should mention that these countries where you may be serving have rampant crime, very little or non existent justice systems and underdeveloped police departments. By the way you may also have to serve in a war zone where the native dwellers enjoy bombing restaurants where USAID personnel and Americans like to eat. You will be exposed to such diseases as Malaria, Small Pox, Typhus, Typhoid and Yellow Fever, Diphtheria, Tuberculosis and Amoebic Dysentery. These countries may also have weak , unsupported and fragile public health systems.

You will be able to establish close personal relationships and become life long friends with the strangers you meet in any of these developing nations and always be available to listen to their problems and provide advice and thoughtful conversation and insight whenever possible.

Who volunteers for this kind of position? The answer is, Alma Lucille Arent a quiet, reserved but, extremely competent and intelligent young lady from a farm in Eau Claire, Michigan. I was privileged to have known this elegant lady who lived a life assisting our country in lending a hand to developing nations in need.

Thank you for everything Alma and being a life long friend and thoughtful companion to our family.

Jan Howard Edwards, son of Jane Paschall Edwards and Julius Howard Edwards

Jan H Edwards

August 6th, 2021 at 12:25pm

Alma and I were friends for over 59 years since our days of working at the American Embassy-USAID in Seoul, Korea from 1962 to 1965. I was a Marine Security Guard at the Embassy and Alma worked for USOM. Alma attended all of the parties and functions at the Marine House and elsewhere with us at that time. Over the years Alma and I kept in touch with e-mails and phone calls every few weeks or so. She was a loving, kind, caring, person. She loved her family and all of her nieces and nephews so very much. She came to two Marine reunions with us - in 2005 at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, VA and in 2009 out in Branson MO where her brother Nathan and his wife also came along. Alma loved the Marines and we loved her. She lived a wonderful life and travelled all over the world and made friends every place she went to. I will miss my friend dearly. God Bless you Alma and thanks for all the years of your friendship. Rest In Peace. Jule

Jule Spohn

August 5th, 2021 at 11:41pm

I served with Alma in Botswana where she was the secretary to the USAIID mission director and ran the "front office". My wife and I remember Alma (who we enjoyed seeing at several Botswana reunions) as open, friendly, helpful, professionally extremely competent, and fully dedicated to her work for the USG. We will always recall her fondly and remember her as one of the bright lights from our Botswana days.

John and Nancy Pielemeier