Arnold K. Pauls

Arnold Kenneth Pauls, 90, of Fargo, ND, died at ManorCare on Tuesday, March 3, 2015.

Arnold Kenneth Pauls was born to Hugo and Ida (Helgeson) Pauls in Grand Forks, ND, on July 3, 1924. He grew up in Grand Forks and attended the Grand Forks school system and graduated from Central High School in 1942.

Since Arnie was unable to serve his country in the military, he was selected to an elite group to work on sonar technology that was used in WWII. In 1945, he started working for Western Electric Company in Fargo. On October 12, 1947, Arnie married Lorraine Kupperion in Dickinson, ND, and they made their home in Fargo until 1957, when they moved to Moorhead, MN. He transferred to Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1955, and worked for them until his retirement in 1982.

He was active in the Telephone Pioneers of America serving as President of the Red River Council and the Life Member Club. In 1990, he received the Angus Award for Volunteer Service from the Telephone Pioneers. He was elected to the Board of Directors at Bonanzaville for six years and served as their president for one year. He had been a volunteer at Bonanzaville for 37 years. He was the originator of the Christmas on the Prairie, an annual celebration that began in 1982 which still continues today. He also helped install the security system at Bonanzaville. He was given The Metropolitan Federal Bank "Admired Senior Citizen Award" in 1987.

Arnie bowled in several leagues at Red River Bowling Lanes and served as President and Secretary on those leagues. He enjoyed golf and kept the statistics for the Senior Golf League at Ponderosa. Arnie also installed the Life-line phone systems in many homes. Arnie enjoyed playing bridge and looked forward to each time he could sit down to cards.

In 1998, Arnie moved to Riverview Place in Fargo, where he was very active, playing bridge several times a week and served as Chair of the Library committee. He also took part in the Men's Club. Arnie also did much research into genealogy and kept detailed information on relatives. He was a voracious reader and enjoyed watching sports, especially the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, and NDSU Bison. Arnie was handy and never found anything he couldn't fix.

Arnold was preceded in death by his wife, Lorraine, in 1996; his parents; his brother, Gerald; sister, Inez Olson; and three grandchildren. He is survived by his three daughters, Charlene "Char" Pauls-Laufman (Ron) and Nancy Peterson (Terry) both of West Fargo, ND, and Kathryn Forde of Amarillo, TX; five grandchildren, Brant Peterson and Erika Steenerson (Todd) of Fargo, Shane Spieker (Kristina) and their children, Kaiden and Brynn, of West Fargo, John Forde of Fargo, and Erin Smith (Justin) of Amarillo, TX and their daughter, Sydney, and a baby due in July; sister, Phyllis Groven of Grand Forks; sister-in-law, Cathy Kupperion of Fargo; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Telephone Pioneers of America for upkeep of the Telephone Pioneer Museum at Bonanzaville, Sisters of the Presentation, and Hospice of the RRV.

Visitation will begin at 10 AM, followed by a funeral Mass at 11 AM, Saturday, March 7, 2015, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Moorhead. Burial will follow in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, Moorhead.