Ethel M. Arrants, 92, of Kearney, passed away Sunday, February 5, 2023 at CHI – Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 10, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at Craig Funeral Home in Minden with Rev. Marcia Dorn officiating. Interment will be held following services at Kearney Cemetery. The family requests that casual attire be worn. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at Craig Funeral Home in Minden. Memorials in Ethel's honor are kindly suggested to the family for later designation. Arrangements are under the care of Craig Funeral Home in Minden.

Ethel Marie Arrants was born August 17, 1930 to Perry O. and Margaret (Shackelford) Neumeyer in Hyannis, NE. She grew up in the Hyannis, Harrison and Mullen area in Western, NE. She graduated from Harrison High School, then received her teaching certificate from Chadron State College. She taught in a one-room school in Hooker County, south of Mullen.

She married John J. Arrants on July 3, 1951 in Bridgeport, NE, and to this union three children were born; Jim, Ila and Violet. John was in the United States Army, so Ethel traveled around with him until he was deployed overseas during the Korean Conflict. When John returned home, they lived in rural Mitchell before moving to Mullen to take over the family operation of the Jewell Diner. Ethel later became the bookkeeper at Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Mullen and then worked in office of the Burwell Hospital. The family moved to Kearney in 1972, where she worked at Kearney Volkswagen as the office manager until retiring.

Ethel was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Kearney as well as a member of the Kearney Bookkeepers Association and several genealogy organizations. Affectionately known to her family as "Grandma John", she enjoyed many hobbies including traveling and camping with John, gardening, canning, ceramics, crocheting, knitting, compiling family genealogy, organizing family reunions, and serving as the official "school taxi" for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Those left to cherish her memory include her daughters, Ila Arrants of Columbus, and Violet (Rob) VanHorn of Kearney; daughter-in-law, Ginger Arrants of Bridgeport; grandchildren, Corrie Ryschon, Dustin "Duff" (Kris) Arrants, Deaver (Ashley) Arrants, Seth (Sarah) VanHorn and Eric (Nickola) VanHorn; 13 great-grandchildren; brother, Wesley Neumeyer of British Columbia, Canada; sister-in-law, Bessie Hubbard of Bayard; as well as a host of extended relatives and close friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, John; son, Jim Arrants; brother and sister-in-law, Maxine and Homer Parks; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bob and Gladys Arrants; and sister-in-law, Shirley Neumeyer.
Tributes and memories can be shared with the family at www.craigfunerals.com .