Eugene F. Arns

Eugene Frederick Arns was born May 6, 1919 in Waterloo, IA. Eugene was the second of two children to George and Amanda Arns, his sister Pauline was two years older. At nine years old, young Eugene moved with his family to Cedar Falls, IA. His father bought land in Cedar Heights and for the first year, his family lived in an oversized chicken coop while saving money and building a house. There, he went to school and occasionally rode his bicycle back to Waterloo to play with childhood friends. From high school he earned a partial Basketball Scholarship to Creighton University, spending a year there before returning home to help his family during the 1930's depression.

Through family friends, he secured a job at Rath Packing Company where starting wage was .37 per hour. All having good jobs, his family weathered the depression well. Then, along came a girl named Hazel Harbison. She was boarding in a room next door at the neighbor's house while going to UNI Teachers College. They were fast friends and in 1939 they were married. Still working at Rath Packing in 1942, Gene was earning .78 an hour when he received his draft notice. This was the same year his daughter, Jacky, was born and the same year he attended a "Come to Jesus" rally at a church in Cedar Falls. Although Gene was raised Lutheran, this Baptist church was on a mission to save new war draftees before they shipped out to an unknown future. Gene was saved there and promised God if he was gifted the ability to return from the war, he would devote his life to the Lord. That turned out well.

Gene entered the Navy and became a radioman breaking Japanese code on the Island of Guam for the entire War. After the War, with his GI bill, he went to National College of Chiropractic in Chicago. This was a "mixer" Chiropractic College, separate from the "straights" graduating from Palmer Chiropractic College. There was infighting there, "straights" practiced "straight" stretching, joint and bone alignment while the "mixers," used and encouraged other forms of body manipulation such as massage and even some of the Eastern disciplines.

When graduated in 1949, he opened his first practice in La Port City, IA. Business was good but finite. There was no advancement in such a small town so in 1951 he moved his family to bustling Des Moines. There he bought a two-story house at 703 Euclid Ave. in Highland Park. His Chiropractic office was downstairs and his family lived upstairs for several years. Gene realized he was back sliding in faith, but soon renewed his faith in God and became born again. It wasn't long before he bought a separate house, a few rental properties, and his son, Chris, was born in 1959.

Beginning in 1959, Gene and several of his like-minded contemporaries started seeing a need for the Chiropractic disciplines to come together. There was a large divide and a bit of unnecessary animosity. That, along with the increasing negativity from the traditional medical community, spurned Gene and several others to champion the alignment of the two separate Chiropractic factions into one entity. In 1965, Eugene Arns became the first President of the Iowa Chiropractic Society. It is still a flourishing entity whose members take into consideration all aspects of Chiropractic hands-on body wellness. Gene’s own practice thrived for decades as he moved to better homes and honed his faith in Jesus, all here in the Des Moines area.

Gene lost his wife, Hazel, to Cancer in 1981. In 1983, he remarried to Betty Flora, an acquaintance within his church circles. In the 1980's he became more engrossed in Shepparding. He became involved with the Hope Ministries Homeless shelter and became ordained as a minister. He retired from the Chiropractic profession in 1989.

Through the 1980's-90's and into the 2000s, Gene spent his time as a Sheppard and temporary Pastor for churches in need throughout Central Iowa. He kept this up until 2016 when his wife Betty passed-on. At 97 years old, Gene notched down to half speed yet still made the rounds to friends and his beloved local churches.

His family threw him a grand 100th birthday party at the Urbandale Golf and Country Club, it was quite a shindig. Dozens of friends and family wished him well, all there waiting as he drove up and walked in to a rousing celebration.

Gene drove his own car till the age of 104. That's not to say you wanted to be anywhere near, but he kept his curb bashing within the confines of a few miles from home.

His grandson moved back to Des Moines in the Spring of 2022. Not solely for his own good, but to keep an eye on his grandfather and help where he could. They had only seen each other for a few hours visiting, here-and-there, for 50 years. At first, his constant presence did not sit well with Gene, but slowly they became actual friends. In the Summer of 2023, Gene's health took a turn, he was bedridden for several months. The doctors tried to tell him he was going to die and tried to prepare him for his end. With a sly grin, he turned the tables on them. He asked if they were ready themselves and soon became their inspiration as he jumped up and was back at-it by the end of August. The physical cause of that episode was never figured out.

This truly did take a toll on him but he was up and active until his 105th birthday last May 6, 2024. From there he slowly declined until May 24th when he was admitted to hospice care at the Des Moines VA Community Living Center.

After a full life of affecting all those that knew him with wellness and his faith in God, Eugene Fredrick Arns left to be with his Lord and Savior at noon on Monday June 10, 2024. Truly, Eugene Arns had been blessed by God.

Eugene left behind his daughter, Jacky; son, Chris; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, IA.

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