Msgt. Michael Arendt Sr., 64 of Montezuma passed away Monday morning, June 26, 2023 at the UnityPoint Grinnell Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 30, beginning at 10:30 am at the Community Hope Church in Montezuma.  Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 29, beginning at noon with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Community Hope Church in Montezuma.  Memorials may be directed to the Blakely-Stevens American Legion Post #169 or the Montezuma Blue and White Athletic Boosters. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of the arrangements.

Michael Lee Arendt was born on June 13, 1959 in Oskaloosa, Iowa to Richard and Leta (Close) Arendt.  Mike was one of three brothers.  Mike attended school in Montezuma  with the class of 1977.   He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was united in marriage to Cynthia Thompson on August 28, 1976.  To this union two children were born, Michael and Heather. They later divorced.  Mike spent his lifetime in the Air Force and took other college and Air Force courses. He worked on ground control in the Air Force also working inside a mountain on three day shifts. Throughout his career, he was stationed in Mississippi, Montana, Arizona, Alaska, South Carolina, Germany, Florida, Turkey, retiring from Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha in1996. Mike moved back to Montezuma and was united in marriage to Nicole Snook Maschmann on August 13, 2006 in Montezuma. He managed Montezuma Lumber and began the rest of his career at People's Bank in Montezuma, retiring in 2022.  Mike spent as much time as he could with his family.  He coached Little League Baseball and football for his son Mike and attended countless gymnastic meets with his daughter Heather.  Mike enjoyed fishing, golf, ranger rides, car rides, slow pitch, Sunday night family suppers, boating, mowing, and loved his dogs.  Mike was an avid Iowa Hawkeye football fan.  He was a member of the Montezuma United Methodist Church and the Montezuma American Legion.  Mike helped organize the brick memorial for the veterans and helped put the flags out for many years for the veterans on Memorial Day.

His memory will be cherished by his wife, Nicole Arendt of Montezuma; his children, Mike (Shannon) Arendt of Montezuma, Heather (Adam) Snook of Montezuma, Colton (Sierra) Maschmann of Montezuma and Katie (Siraj) Thomason of Montezuma; his mother, Leta Arendt of Montezuma; his brother, David Arendt of Montezuma; his grandchildren, Alisha (Mikey) Lyons, Gaige (Ciara) Arendt, Brayden Arendt, Hunter Van Dee, Chloe Snook, Emma Snook, Rocco Thomason, Bristol Thomason, Kaden Baestle, and Callan Maschmann; great granddaughters, Emlynne Lyons and Ada Lyons with Baby Arendt on the way;  and many other relatives and friends.

Michael is preceded in death by his father, Richard Arendt and his brother William Arendt.