Arloa Bartos

A woman of unending grace, unconditional compassion, and steadfast faith, Arloa Bartos leaves behind a lasting imprint in the world around her. Through her desire to be the hands and feet of the Lord she loved, she touched the lives of countless others within her reach. Although she accomplished so much of which to be proud, Arloa was a humble woman who viewed her greatest feat in life to be instilling within each of her girls the same spirit of compassion that was within her own heart and in so doing, she reached the lives of those too numerous to count through their loving acts of kindness. As the eyes of our nation were focused on the hostilities of WWII overseas, a young couple from Muskegon, Michigan, was delighted with the birth of their new baby girl on July 26, 1942. Arloa Jean was welcomed into the arms of her parents, Jim and Thelma (Sandy) Tazelaar, yet their family of three was soon separated as Jim was called overseas to serve in the Navy. At first Arloas mother remained in Muskegon, but when she was given an opportunity to join her husband in San Diego she left her precious daughter in the care of her mother, Grandma Sandy, as she was known to Arloa and headed to California. After about 18 months Arloas mother returned, and her father returned in 1945 when the war ended. It was later that same year that Arloas brother, Jimmy, was born. The two were very close and spent a lot of time together as their parents both worked. Arloa was deeply saddened with the death of her beloved Grandma Sandy, and she always spoke of how her life was deeply enriched because of the love of her grandma. New and exciting changes were in store for Arloa when she began dating a young man she met while she was a student at Muskegon High School. His name was Dennis Schlueter and they fell deeply in love. In 1959 Arloa quit school and married Dennis. Their daughter, Denise, was born in December of that same year. The family of three soon moved to Colorado with Arloas parents for a time where the men worked in construction. After about one year the family of three returned to Michigan during which time Arloa was expecting another child. In January of 1963 their daughter, Kathi was born. The Schleuter family lived in Holland for a time and later settled back in Muskegon. Sadly, Kathi developed meningitis in December of 1965 and died. Just a short time later Arloa and Dennis divorced. Life was forever changed for Arloa when she went out dancing with some girlfriends one evening. She accepted an invitation to dance from a young man named Joe Bartos, but he was left heartbroken when the beautiful Arloa left with her friends soon after as he didnt even have a chance to ask her for a way to contact her. Imagine his happiness when he actually saw her again in the parking lot of a different club later that same evening. The couple went into the club together and have been together ever since. Ready to build a life together, Arloa and Joe were married on February 28, 1966. Later that year their daughter, Paula, was born, and she was joined by her sister, Debra, two years later. Joe worked tirelessly to support his family, which allowed Arloa to stay home to raise her daughters. Arloa loved to dance, and the couple frequently went out on the weekend to dance with friends. As a mother she was second to none as she loved playing with her children including everything from board games to coloring and swimming and tubing with her girls on the river. On one occasion Arloa and Joe took Denise with them on a memorable vacation to the 1967 Worlds Fair in Montreal, Canada. When the two younger girls had grown up a bit the family enjoyed fun-filled vacations in the Upper Peninsula. Joe and Arloa later bought a piece of property on the Muskegon River, which became a frequent camping location for the family. There were so many things that made Arloa such an extraordinary woman. She had the ability to accept people for who they are, and to give good advice that was appropriate for every situation. In this way, Arloa became nearly as important to many of her daughters friends as she was to her daughters themselves. As a child she learned to be frugal and the importance of saving money. Arloa brought these traits to life as she became the local rebate and coupon queen who went to the grocery store only to purchase $167 worth of groceries for just $6 on one occasion! She also got involved in local and national politics, which had always been an interest of hers. With a desire to complete her education, Arloa earned enough credits to receive her diploma from Oakridge High School in 1974. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge she went on to Muskegon Community College where she took every English class they offered and later focused on medical classes. There were countless ways that Arloa got involved with those in need. She helped single mothers, homeless people, and families in poverty by providing groceries or in guiding them to the proper assistance agencies. Arloa volunteered within her church and later with Love, Inc in whatever ways were needed. Arloa spent some time in the workforce beginning as the manager of the OHerron Family Restaurant, formerly on Apple Avenue, for several years. The nineties found her volunteering at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic in Grand Rapids, which later led to a fulfilling position as a medical clerk there. After passing the civil service exam on her first try, Arloa was then offered a position as a medical transcriptionist where she remained until her battle with leukemia demanded her full attention. Although the past few years had been a struggle for Arloa, she focused on spending time with her family and friends. She continued leading Bible studies, supporting various Christian services, and praying daily for Gods grace, wisdom, and love. Life will never be the same without Arloa Bartos here, but her family finds comfort in knowing that she is enjoying perfect peace in her eternal home. Arloa J. Bartos died Friday, December 16, 2011. Arloas family includes her husband, Joe; 3 daughters, Denise (Roy) Burton of White Cloud, Paula (Donald) Schohl of Grand Rapids, and Debra Bartos of Muskegon; 5 grandchildren, Justin, Andrew, Brandon, Gideon, Kevin Schohl; mother-in-law, Grace Bartos; brothers-in-law, Roy (Cari) Bartos, George (Rhonda) Bartos, Steve Bartos; sisters-in-law, Jackie Hodges and Anita (Ric) Emerson. Arloa was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Kathi Schleuter; and brothers, Tommy & James Tazelaar. Services will be held Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 1:00 p.m. at the Clock Chapel - Muskegon with Rev. Lowell Wood officiating. Interment at Mona View Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. at the Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorials may be directed to American Cancer Society. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.