Arnolds Akselis died peacefully on November 12, 2010 at his daughter's home in Fresno, California with his daughter Anita, son Arnis and daughter-in-law Dzidra at his bedside.
Arnolds was born August 20, 1922 in the southwest corner of Latvia, in the Kurzeme region near the village of Kaleti, the son of Zanis and Geda Akselis. He experienced a childhood that included much exploration of the woods, streams and rural roads of Kurzeme on foot and by bicycle. He attended the Technical High School in the port city of Liepaja where he enjoyed spending his free time along the beautiful sandy shore of the Baltic Sea.
He dreamed of becoming a sea captain following in the footsteps of his father's relatives. Unfortunately, World War 2 broke out as he was graduating from High School as an electrical technician.
He joined the Latvian Legion which was fighting for Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. Latvia was trapped in between the warring powers of Germany and the USSR. Arnolds was wounded in the war and had incredible stories to share of his experiences. The end of the war did not mean a return to the home and family he missed so much because Latvia was now Soviet occupied and returning home would result in the same fate that befell his older brother Roberts who was arrested and perished in the Siberian Gulag.
Arnolds' future wife Zenta left Latvia for Germany to escape the Soviet occupation and they met for the first time in Eichstsatt. Marriage followed and several years in the Displaced Persons ( DP ) camps where their first son Arnis was born.
In October 1949 the young family sailed to the United States where they were sponsored by the kind and wonderful family of Laverne and Dorothy Friedlein who lived on a farm just south of Guttenburg, Iowa. With the Friedlein's generous help the family moved to Des Moines in 1950. Arnolds found work in a radio repair shop, later the Wood Brother's plant on Broadway Avenue and finally, retired after 30 plus years as an electrician at Armstrong Rubber Co. A daughter Anita Zenta and a son Ronalds Imants were born in Des Moines. Upon retirement Arnolds and Zenta moved to Chino Hills, California to be near Anita and her children. That was followed by moves to Poulsbo and Renton, Washington. In the fall of 2009 they moved to Fresno, California where they were lovingly cared for by Anita.
Arnolds was an intelligent, gifted and hard working man. He was known for his strong and skilled hands that could build or fix most anything whether that involved electricity, wood or metal working, carpentry, masonry, etc. His ingenuity was amazing. If he needed a tool or device he often built it himself rather than buy it. He crafted small, intricately engraved metal gift boxes, complicated electrical devices, and built a 3 room addition to the family home, even finding the energy to dig the basement by hand after long , hot hours at the Armstrong factory. Arnolds took an active part in the local Latvian community in Des Moines being a member of the Latvian Society in Iowa, the Latvian Lutheran Congregation and the Latvian veteran's group Daugavas Vanagi. Later he was a member of the Latvian Lutheran congregations in Los Angeles, CA and in Seattle, WA.
He loved his family and provided that his children receive an education and have the opportunity to participate in sports, travel and the arts. He loved to travel across the United States and enjoyed boating and fishing. In his seventies he managed to pilot his 18-foot motor boat, solo, from Poulsbo, WA to the north end of Vancouver Island before the Canadian Coast Guard turned him back upon finding that his goal was Alaska and that his boat had no radar.. His family will be eternally grateful and will keep him in loving memory.
A family funeral service was held November, 16 at Farewell Funeral Service in Fresno with Chaplain Ed Swenson of St. Agnes Hospice officiating. Burial of the cremains will take place in Kaleti, Latvia as per Arnolds' request.
Arnolds is survived by his wife Zenta of Fresno, CA, son Arnis and wife Dzidra of Pleasant Hill, IA, daughter Anita Zenta Akselis , granddaughter Annika Harman, great grandson Johnny Dillon Jimenez of Fresno, CA, grandson Alexander Harman of Everett, WA, son Ronalds Imants and wife Vaira of Madison, WI and relatives in Latvia.
(Published in Des Moines Register on December 31, 2010)
Arnolds was born August 20, 1922 in the southwest corner of Latvia, in the Kurzeme region near the village of Kaleti, the son of Zanis and Geda Akselis. He experienced a childhood that included much exploration of the woods, streams and rural roads of Kurzeme on foot and by bicycle. He attended the Technical High School in the port city of Liepaja where he enjoyed spending his free time along the beautiful sandy shore of the Baltic Sea.
He dreamed of becoming a sea captain following in the footsteps of his father's relatives. Unfortunately, World War 2 broke out as he was graduating from High School as an electrical technician.
He joined the Latvian Legion which was fighting for Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. Latvia was trapped in between the warring powers of Germany and the USSR. Arnolds was wounded in the war and had incredible stories to share of his experiences. The end of the war did not mean a return to the home and family he missed so much because Latvia was now Soviet occupied and returning home would result in the same fate that befell his older brother Roberts who was arrested and perished in the Siberian Gulag.
Arnolds' future wife Zenta left Latvia for Germany to escape the Soviet occupation and they met for the first time in Eichstsatt. Marriage followed and several years in the Displaced Persons ( DP ) camps where their first son Arnis was born.
In October 1949 the young family sailed to the United States where they were sponsored by the kind and wonderful family of Laverne and Dorothy Friedlein who lived on a farm just south of Guttenburg, Iowa. With the Friedlein's generous help the family moved to Des Moines in 1950. Arnolds found work in a radio repair shop, later the Wood Brother's plant on Broadway Avenue and finally, retired after 30 plus years as an electrician at Armstrong Rubber Co. A daughter Anita Zenta and a son Ronalds Imants were born in Des Moines. Upon retirement Arnolds and Zenta moved to Chino Hills, California to be near Anita and her children. That was followed by moves to Poulsbo and Renton, Washington. In the fall of 2009 they moved to Fresno, California where they were lovingly cared for by Anita.
Arnolds was an intelligent, gifted and hard working man. He was known for his strong and skilled hands that could build or fix most anything whether that involved electricity, wood or metal working, carpentry, masonry, etc. His ingenuity was amazing. If he needed a tool or device he often built it himself rather than buy it. He crafted small, intricately engraved metal gift boxes, complicated electrical devices, and built a 3 room addition to the family home, even finding the energy to dig the basement by hand after long , hot hours at the Armstrong factory. Arnolds took an active part in the local Latvian community in Des Moines being a member of the Latvian Society in Iowa, the Latvian Lutheran Congregation and the Latvian veteran's group Daugavas Vanagi. Later he was a member of the Latvian Lutheran congregations in Los Angeles, CA and in Seattle, WA.
He loved his family and provided that his children receive an education and have the opportunity to participate in sports, travel and the arts. He loved to travel across the United States and enjoyed boating and fishing. In his seventies he managed to pilot his 18-foot motor boat, solo, from Poulsbo, WA to the north end of Vancouver Island before the Canadian Coast Guard turned him back upon finding that his goal was Alaska and that his boat had no radar.. His family will be eternally grateful and will keep him in loving memory.
A family funeral service was held November, 16 at Farewell Funeral Service in Fresno with Chaplain Ed Swenson of St. Agnes Hospice officiating. Burial of the cremains will take place in Kaleti, Latvia as per Arnolds' request.
Arnolds is survived by his wife Zenta of Fresno, CA, son Arnis and wife Dzidra of Pleasant Hill, IA, daughter Anita Zenta Akselis , granddaughter Annika Harman, great grandson Johnny Dillon Jimenez of Fresno, CA, grandson Alexander Harman of Everett, WA, son Ronalds Imants and wife Vaira of Madison, WI and relatives in Latvia.
(Published in Des Moines Register on December 31, 2010)
Arnolds Akselis died peacefully on November 12, 2010 at his daughter's home in Fresno, California with his daughter Anita, son Arnis and daughter-in-law Dzidra at his bedside.
Arnolds was born August 20, 1922 in the southwest corner of Latvia, in the Kurzeme region near the village of Kaleti, the son of Zanis and Geda Akselis. He experienced a childhood that included much exploration of the woods, streams and rural roads of Kurzeme on foot and by bicycle. He attended the Technical High School in the port city of Liepaja where he enjoyed spending his free time along the beautiful sandy shore of the Baltic Sea.
He dreamed of becoming a sea captain following in the footsteps of his father's relatives. Unfortunately, World War 2 broke out as he was graduating from High School as an electrical technician.
He joined the Latvian Legion which was fighting for Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. Latvia was trapped in between the warring powers of Germany and the USSR. Arnolds was wounded in the war and had incredible stories to share of his experiences. The end of the war did not mean a return to the home and family he missed so much because Latvia was now Soviet occupied and returning home would result in the same fate that befell his older brother Roberts who was arrested and perished in the Siberian Gulag.
Arnolds' future wife Zenta left Latvia for Germany to escape the Soviet occupation and they met for the first time in Eichstsatt. Marriage followed and several years in the Displaced Persons ( DP ) camps where their first son Arnis was born.
In October 1949 the young family sailed to the United States where they were sponsored by the kind and wonderful family of Laverne and Dorothy Friedlein who lived on a farm just south of Guttenburg, Iowa. With the Friedlein's generous help the family moved to Des Moines in 1950. Arnolds found work in a radio repair shop, later the Wood Brother's plant on Broadway Avenue and finally, retired after 30 plus years as an electrician at Armstrong Rubber Co. A daughter Anita Zenta and a son Ronalds Imants were born in Des Moines. Upon retirement Arnolds and Zenta moved to Chino Hills, California to be near Anita and her children. That was followed by moves to Poulsbo and Renton, Washington. In the fall of 2009 they moved to Fresno, California where they were lovingly cared for by Anita.
Arnolds was an intelligent, gifted and hard working man. He was known for his strong and skilled hands that could build or fix most anything whether that involved electricity, wood or metal working, carpentry, masonry, etc. His ingenuity was amazing. If he needed a tool or device he often built it himself rather than buy it. He crafted small, intricately engraved metal gift boxes, complicated electrical devices, and built a 3 room addition to the family home, even finding the energy to dig the basement by hand after long , hot hours at the Armstrong factory. Arnolds took an active part in the local Latvian community in Des Moines being a member of the Latvian Society in Iowa, the Latvian Lutheran Congregation and the Latvian veteran's group Daugavas Vanagi. Later he was a member of the Latvian Lutheran congregations in Los Angeles, CA and in Seattle, WA.
He loved his family and provided that his children receive an education and have the opportunity to participate in sports, travel and the arts. He loved to travel across the United States and enjoyed boating and fishing. In his seventies he managed to pilot his 18-foot motor boat, solo, from Poulsbo, WA to the north end of Vancouver Island before the Canadian Coast Guard turned him back upon finding that his goal was Alaska and that his boat had no radar.. His family will be eternally grateful and will keep him in loving memory.
A family funeral service was held November, 16 at Farewell Funeral Service in Fresno with Chaplain Ed Swenson of St. Agnes Hospice officiating. Burial of the cremains will take place in Kaleti, Latvia as per Arnolds' request.
Arnolds is survived by his wife Zenta of Fresno, CA, son Arnis and wife Dzidra of Pleasant Hill, IA, daughter Anita Zenta Akselis , granddaughter Annika Harman, great grandson Johnny Dillon Jimenez of Fresno, CA, grandson Alexander Harman of Everett, WA, son Ronalds Imants and wife Vaira of Madison, WI and relatives in Latvia.
(Published in Des Moines Register on December 31, 2010)
Arnolds was born August 20, 1922 in the southwest corner of Latvia, in the Kurzeme region near the village of Kaleti, the son of Zanis and Geda Akselis. He experienced a childhood that included much exploration of the woods, streams and rural roads of Kurzeme on foot and by bicycle. He attended the Technical High School in the port city of Liepaja where he enjoyed spending his free time along the beautiful sandy shore of the Baltic Sea.
He dreamed of becoming a sea captain following in the footsteps of his father's relatives. Unfortunately, World War 2 broke out as he was graduating from High School as an electrical technician.
He joined the Latvian Legion which was fighting for Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. Latvia was trapped in between the warring powers of Germany and the USSR. Arnolds was wounded in the war and had incredible stories to share of his experiences. The end of the war did not mean a return to the home and family he missed so much because Latvia was now Soviet occupied and returning home would result in the same fate that befell his older brother Roberts who was arrested and perished in the Siberian Gulag.
Arnolds' future wife Zenta left Latvia for Germany to escape the Soviet occupation and they met for the first time in Eichstsatt. Marriage followed and several years in the Displaced Persons ( DP ) camps where their first son Arnis was born.
In October 1949 the young family sailed to the United States where they were sponsored by the kind and wonderful family of Laverne and Dorothy Friedlein who lived on a farm just south of Guttenburg, Iowa. With the Friedlein's generous help the family moved to Des Moines in 1950. Arnolds found work in a radio repair shop, later the Wood Brother's plant on Broadway Avenue and finally, retired after 30 plus years as an electrician at Armstrong Rubber Co. A daughter Anita Zenta and a son Ronalds Imants were born in Des Moines. Upon retirement Arnolds and Zenta moved to Chino Hills, California to be near Anita and her children. That was followed by moves to Poulsbo and Renton, Washington. In the fall of 2009 they moved to Fresno, California where they were lovingly cared for by Anita.
Arnolds was an intelligent, gifted and hard working man. He was known for his strong and skilled hands that could build or fix most anything whether that involved electricity, wood or metal working, carpentry, masonry, etc. His ingenuity was amazing. If he needed a tool or device he often built it himself rather than buy it. He crafted small, intricately engraved metal gift boxes, complicated electrical devices, and built a 3 room addition to the family home, even finding the energy to dig the basement by hand after long , hot hours at the Armstrong factory. Arnolds took an active part in the local Latvian community in Des Moines being a member of the Latvian Society in Iowa, the Latvian Lutheran Congregation and the Latvian veteran's group Daugavas Vanagi. Later he was a member of the Latvian Lutheran congregations in Los Angeles, CA and in Seattle, WA.
He loved his family and provided that his children receive an education and have the opportunity to participate in sports, travel and the arts. He loved to travel across the United States and enjoyed boating and fishing. In his seventies he managed to pilot his 18-foot motor boat, solo, from Poulsbo, WA to the north end of Vancouver Island before the Canadian Coast Guard turned him back upon finding that his goal was Alaska and that his boat had no radar.. His family will be eternally grateful and will keep him in loving memory.
A family funeral service was held November, 16 at Farewell Funeral Service in Fresno with Chaplain Ed Swenson of St. Agnes Hospice officiating. Burial of the cremains will take place in Kaleti, Latvia as per Arnolds' request.
Arnolds is survived by his wife Zenta of Fresno, CA, son Arnis and wife Dzidra of Pleasant Hill, IA, daughter Anita Zenta Akselis , granddaughter Annika Harman, great grandson Johnny Dillon Jimenez of Fresno, CA, grandson Alexander Harman of Everett, WA, son Ronalds Imants and wife Vaira of Madison, WI and relatives in Latvia.
(Published in Des Moines Register on December 31, 2010)
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