Arlene (Allen) Huenink

Arlene (Allen) Huenink, 83 years of age, of Lincoln passed away Thursday, March 21, 2024 at The Monarch in Lincoln. She was born on June 4th, 1940 at a farm near Crab Orchard. At the age of 10, she moved to the farm 5 miles west of Tecumseh where she grew up. Arlene went to Vesta Grade School and then graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1958. The same year she met her future husband, Richard Huenink at a dance where they enjoyed Conway Twitty’s “I’d love to lay you down.” Arlene married Richard Lee Huenink Sr on April 18th, 1959 and had sons Nicholas Allen, Richard Lee, and Joel Tyler. They lived in Lincoln for a few years before moving to Colorado for a year, then returned to Lincoln where they bought their first home on Vine street where she babysat kids and worked at Miller and Paine decorating the windows there. In 1971 the family moved to Fairbury and worked at the clothing store Macdonalds in sales and arranging their window displays using her creative talents. In 1978 she worked at Kelwoods sewing cuffs on coats and was the fastest at her job. In 1980 the family moved to Beatrice where Arlene began working as a Developmental Technician at BSDC where they integrated her arts and crafts programs. In 1998 her son’s hired her to work at the family business doing payroll and office work where she enjoyed spending more time with her family. Around 2005 she went to Mosaic working as a Developmental Technician until she retired.

She loved painting, arts, crafts and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Even though times were often tough, she always made sure we had gifts on the holidays and food on the table. For Halloween, she made custom handmade costumes. Arlene’s love was the glue to our family and she stuck with dad through tough times and illness. She loved old movies and game shows but always put family first. Arlene was diagnosed with a terminal cancer 18 years ago and endured multiple surgeries and treatments and became the world’s longest survivor with her type of cancer. She was a very strong woman who inspired her sons to create a family business that has grown to employ nearly 100 people. Her favorite sayings were “you can do anything if you put your mind to it”, “if you don’t have anything good to say don’t say anything at all” and “N O spells no and tick a lock” as her children and grandchildren can attest. All of her children and grandchildren grew up sitting on the arm of her chair as she entertained them with stories, arts and crafts and helping with homework. Nothing was more important than family but Arlene had a wealth of friends too. Everyone who worked with her enjoyed her company and good spirit. She always made everyone feel welcome and loved and will be forever missed until we see her again.

Arlene is survived by her sisters, Annalee (Allen) Owens, Dorothea Jane (Allen) Kubitz; sons, Nicholas Allen Huenink and wife Judy, Richard Lee Huenink Jr and wife Franchesca, Joel Tyler Huenink and fiancée Cece Osborn; and grandchildren, Joscelyn Darling, Andrew Novacek, Brook Huenink, Alexander Huenink, Christian Huenink, Miranda Huenink, Jadyn Huenink, Ashton Huenink; and great grandchildren, Autumn McKernan, Eden McKernan, Miyah Taylor, Kila Miller, Chatty Laflin, Andrew Novacek Jr and Tatum Novacek. She was preceded in death by mother, Genevieve Joann (Murphy) Allen and Clifford LeRoy Allen; husband, Richard Lee Huenink Sr; twin great grandchildren, Nathan and Cohen; brother, James Edwin Allen; and special friends, Merle, Charles and Ron.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:30 PM Monday, March 25, 2024 at Harman-Wright Mortuary in Beatrice with Pastor David Bigley officiating. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Home Cemetery in Beatrice. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to services on Monday. Memorials are suggested to the Beatrice Art Guild in care of the mortuary. Harman-Wright Mortuary & Crematory in Beatrice in charge of arrangements.

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