May 27, 1933 - February 3, 2022

Geneva L. Arnold, 88, formerly of Omaha, Arkansas, died Thursday, February 3, 2022, after a protracted battle with cancer. Geneva, affectionately known to her family as "Toot" or "Tootle Bug" was born on May 27, 1933, to parents Sherman Parker and Addie (Burgess) Ellis.

As a young girl, Geneva attended school in Omaha, Arkansas, and later graduated from the School of the Ozarks. While earning her education at "S of O", she enjoyed cataloging and preserving Native American artifacts that had been donated to the school during her time there. The work of curating the pieces that would later become exhibits at the Ralph Foster Museum sparked a love of art and education that became the guideposts for her throughout life.

Upon graduation, Geneva moved to Kansas City to find work and start a family. Years later, she returned to her hometown of Omaha, to raise daughters Dalelyn and Carolyn. During these Omaha years, she was known to be an avid deer hunter and oil painter. As a professional, she co-owned and operated the family's general store and gas station that was a key business within the Omaha community. Geneva was a talented cook and a confident and skillful hostess who regularly prepared meals for family and friends. Her connection to art translated well into her passion for cooking. Her quick wit and storytelling prowess gave her the opportunity to connect deeply with nearly everyone she met in life.

After raising her family, Geneva's love of life and learning took her to Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Connecticut where she worked for several years before completing a bachelor's degree in Art Education. While Geneva did not pursue a career in teaching, she used her training as a teacher to educate families to the history of the northeast and expose those she cared about to a wide range of experiences and opportunities that were uncommon for most in Boone County, Arkansas. She regularly shipped live Maine lobsters to her family, and the receipt of her saltwater specimens became commonplace for many years at the Omaha School.

Geneva finished her working career as a postal employee and was very active in the postal workers union up until her retirement. She enjoyed the connection she made with people delivering mail and building relationships with those along her route. While on vacation to Arkansas, she would often bring back Ozark's curiosities as gifts for her neighbors in Old Saybrook. Defying the commonly held social norms of the day, and love of life sustained her in everything that she did. She planted a lasting family legacy of independence and a lifelong love of learning that was grown and fostered amongst her extended family.

She is survived by her daughters, Dalelyn Gass of Branson, Missouri, and Carolyn Arnold of Diamond City, Arkansas; along with three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Our family would like to share an appreciation for the outpouring of support we have received in recent days.

At Geneva's request during the Covid-19 pandemic, no public funeral or memorial service is immediately planned.

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