Arlene Brink

The memorial service for Arlene will be held on Saturday, May 7 at 1 pm at COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 326 South Segoe Road, with light refreshments to follow.

Arlene R. Brink, age 87, of Cross Plains, passed away on Sunday, December 12, 2021 at Sonrisas Assisted Living, surrounded by her children.  Arlene was born on September 11, 1934 in Lancaster, WI to her parents Arthur and Gladys Kroening. During WWII her family moved to Seguin, TX where her father served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Air Corps, serving as a flight instructor. After the war her family moved to Marion, Iowa, where Arlene also acquired a love of flying, earning her pilot’s license on her 16 ^th birthday. Merit scholarship in hand, Arlene attended the University of Iowa, studying science and enjoying campus life as the President of the Chi Omega sorority. Upon graduation, she worked at St. Luke’s Methodist Hospital in Cedar Rapids as a medical technologist, where she met Keith Brink, her future husband.

Fulfilling a desire to escape the Midwest, she loaded up her belongings and her Siamese cat and drove to California, where she began work at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto. Keith soon followed and they eloped to Carmel, CA, sharing vows in a little white church by the sea. After the birth of their son, Kurt, they moved to Ames, Iowa, where Keith pursued a degree in architecture. Their daughter Dana was born and upon Keith’s graduation, the family took up residence in Madison, WI. Arlene worked part-time at St. Mary’s Hospital while Keith established a design partnership and built a beautiful home in the wooded hills near Cross Plains.

Daughter Kristin was born and Arlene continued to devote her considerable energy to serving on church and school committees, sewing clothes and costumes, participating in garden clubs and volunteering for several organizations. She was a voracious reader, taking the kids to the public library weekly for an armload of books.

Arlene and Keith were among the first residents of Deer Run Heights. She formed several close friendships as the neighborhood grew. She organized many lively parties, including progressive dinners, surprise birthday parties, the annual Labor Day picnic, and a gourmet cooking group. She baked for days leading up to Christmas Eve, when she sent her children around the neighborhood delivering plates of homemade fudge and cookies.

Arlene didn’t “love” exercise, but she enjoyed tennis, golf, Nordic skiing and swimming if the water was warm enough.  She loved her morning strolls with her neighbors, and the daily walks with Anika, her beloved Siberian Husky.

Arlene loved Door County, WI and took her family there almost every year for a few days in the summer.   She preferred to stay at motels near the water so she could listen to the waves of Green Bay approach the shore.  She and Keith enjoyed fish boils, fine dining, as well as the “Ephraim Special,” her favorite ice cream sundae at Wilson’s Restaurant.

Unfortunately, Arlene suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for several years. She was so very resistant to giving up her independence, first driving, then her house. Caregivers struggled to keep her safe; despite becoming weaker and more unsteady, she made countless attempts to escape the confines of a bed or chair. Throughout her ordeal, she continued to amaze us with her sophisticated vocabulary, often describing us as “exquisite” when we visited her.

Arlene is survived by her son Kurt (Nancy), daughter Dana (Mark Hauser), daughter Kristin (Ryan Marsh); four grandchildren, Cheyenne, Noelle, Neelam, and Kaia; sister Dori of Fayetteville, AR, and brother Don of Marion, IA, and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Keith, parents, sister-in-law Nadine Kroening, brothers-in-law Richard Seddon, Tom Pollard, and Robert Mahan, and nephew Robby Mahan.

We thank all her Deer Run neighbors who helped her while she lived at home, as well as the kind staff at Brookdale, Heartland Hospice, and Visiting Physicians Association. Special thanks to Agrace HospiceCare, who cared for her since 2020, and of course, Kathy Hinzmann and the outstanding staff at Sonrisas. You treated her (and us) with such compassion and grace, and we are incredibly grateful.

A memorial service for Arlene will be held aon Saturday, May 7th at 1 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 326 S. Segoe Rd, with Pastor Charles Berthoud presiding.   There will be light refreshments following the service. Memorials can be made in her memory to Covenant Presbyterian Church or Agrace HospiceCare of Madison, WI.

We will remember Arlene for her intelligence, elegance, generosity and her constant love for us.  We think you are exquisite, Mom.