Pastor Ryan Gage’s grandfather, Arden P. White, 88, of Chehalis, died Friday, March 14, 2014 at Providence Centralia Hospital. Pastor Gage serves Zion American Lutheran in Eureka, South Dakota.
Arden Prentice White, son of Gooch W. and Jeanette (Cochran) White was born Jan. 27, 1926 in Mayfield, Wash. He was the youngest of five children. Arden was raised in the Mossyrock area, attending school there and graduating from Mossyrock High School with the class of 1944. Arden was then inducted into the U.S. Army, serving in the 71st Infantry Division in France and Germany. Following his discharge in 1946, he met Bette A. Brenneis on a blind date. The two were married on July 1, 1949 in Ethel.
Arden was a lifelong resident of Lewis County. He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching just about any sporting event that he could find on television, though his first love was always baseball. He played on local town teams for many years and later coached Chehalis Little League and Babe Ruth teams. For most of his life, Arden worked in sales, mainly in auto parts, but also at Chehalis Brick and Tile for a number of years.
Arden was a longtime member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Chehalis, where he had served on the church council. He sang in the church choir and was a soloist at many church services, weddings and funerals over the years. How Great Thou Art was the hymn he loved to sing best.
In addition to his wife Bette, Arden is survived by his son, Shawn (Colleen) White, Centralia; daughter, Lynette Gage, Chehalis; five grandchildren, the Rev. Ryan (Edith) Gage, Eureka, S.D., Travis (Tori) White, Adna, Heather (Dr. Jake) Heck, Vancouver, Wash., Tonya White, Centralia and Matthew (Lexi) Gage, Adna; and six great-grandchildren, Oliver Heck, Amanda Gage, Callum Heck, Lilly Gage, Rachel Gage, and Dane Gage.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Ray, Roscoe and Oren; his sister, Edith Hanson and his son-in-law, Patrick Gage.
Memorial services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, March 22, 2014, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2190 Jackson Hwy, Chehalis, with the Rev. Jeannine Daggett officiating. In lieu of flowers, Arden’s family suggests memorials to the St. John’s Lutheran Church Memorial Fund or the charity of your choice.
