Arlene Jean (Schmoll) Kleist, 100, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2026, at Twin Cedar Living Center in Shohola, Pennsylvania and formerly of Hawley, Pennsylvania. Arlene was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 20, 1925 and has lived through an entire century of American history while creating her own remarkable legacy of faith, creativity and quiet strength. She was the daughter of German immigrant parents, Adam and Martha (Molter) Scholl.

At fifteen, she saw Disney’s *Fantasia* in a Cleveland theater—a film that would remain her favorite throughout her life. She learned to sew from her mother Martha, developing into a master seamstress whose talents would serve family and community for decades.

In 1944, nineteen-year-old Arlene met Robert “Bob” Kleist at a USO dance during World War II. They married in 1946, and she made her own wedding dress—a testament to her resourcefulness and skill. As Bob’s railroad career advanced, they moved frequently across several states. Arlene embraced this nomadic lifestyle with grace, raising daughters Donna and Diane while managing household challenges alone when Bob traveled. A once-timid girl, she transformed into a confident woman through life’s experiences, learning to trust in her faith and capabilities.

Arlene’s creativity flourished in service to others. She made all her daughters’ clothing, volunteered countless hours sewing for charity, and created fabulous costumes for square dancing and Colonial reenactments. Her artistic spirit and love of mystery novels enriched her days. In the 1960s, she and Bob took a memorable journey on the original Orient Express through Austria and Italy.

A woman of deep but quiet faith, Arlene approached life with clarity: “I never had any hard choices.” When asked about her favorite memory from 100 years, she replied with characteristic grace: “It was all a good memory.” Proud member of “a hard-working, honest generation,” she found purpose in serving others, strength in faith, and joy in creating beauty.

Arlene helped preserve her family’s German immigrant heritage through “The Country Grandma Cookbook,” ensuring stories spanning four centuries would be passed to future generations.

She is survived by her daughters Donna and Diane; grandchildren Shawn, Tammi, Dane, and Donovan; nine great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert (October 1994) and her parents Adam and Martha Schmoll and her sister, Pauline.