Arcelia Nerpel went to her final rest May 17 2009. She was among family who prayed with her and sang to her through her last hours. She will be missed as dear mother, friend and family member who always had a smile, a kind word and a helping hand.

She was born Arcelia Maria-Anna Turcotte on March 5 1921 in Rolette County, N.D. to August and Emilina Turcotte. Her first days were in the drought and economic depression of the early 1900s. The family was a large one, four brothers and four sisters, all but one who survived to adulthood.

Early days for Arcelia were spent growing up on a farm, in country churches and school houses, horses for power, dust storms, clouds of insects that ate the crops, coal and wood for heat, before rural electricity. There was always joy in large groups of friends, family gatherings for New Years, holidays, births, weddings and funerals. The Catholic Church was always a large part of her life. She and each of her sisters were for a time in the convent of the Sisters of St Mary of the Presentation at Valley City, ND.

Arcelia met Jacob Nerpel in 1936 and they were married October 26, 1942 in St John the Baptist Church at St John, ND. They were blessed with three little daughters, Rosalie, Agnes and Martha and moved their little family to Washington State in 1946. They established a new home at Quincy in 1947. Soon Elaine and then David were born to complete Jake and Arcelia’s family.

Mrs. Nerpel was very involved with the Catholic Church and in educating the young and helping the needy. She was Cub Scout Den Mother and Camp Fire Leader. For 26 years she taught 1st and 2nd grade Catholic Catechism classes in St Pius X Parish at Quincy. Teaching children their first prayers was her joy. She was pictured with many many groups of her First Communion students. She was also a Teachers Assistant at Mt View Elementary School for many years.

Arcelia spent her last years at The Waterford, a rest home in Spokane.

Her children are all surviving: Rosalie Dahlvang of Spokane, Agnes Wickert of Ephrata, Martha Nerpel of Spokane, Elaine Lillquist of Quincy and David Nerpel of Ellensburg, She has fourteen grand children and seven great-grand children.
She is also survived by her sisters Alma Harms of Quincy, Adrienne Estes of Wenatchee and Sister Alexandra Turcotte of Valley City ND.

She was preceded in death by her husband Jake in 1999, by her parents, her four brothers and one sister.

Holy Rosary will be recited at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, May 20th at Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel in Quincy. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, May 21, 2009 at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Quincy. Concluding services and internment will follow in the Quincy Valley Cemetery.

Please sign the guestbook of leave a note for the family at www.scharbachs.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel in Quincy.

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