Caledonia Argus

Arnold Skifton this yearís Hoedown parade marshal

Posted: 7/22/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

Not too much has happened in Houston over the last seven decades or so that Arnold Skifton hasnít been involved in. And hardly a resident there remembers a time when there wasnít a Skiftonís Department Store right on Main Street. After all, itís been there for almost 72 years, and Arnold has owned it the whole time. For 61 of those years, his beloved late wife, Marie, was by his side every day.

Itís no surprise that this community-minded gentleman has been chosen this year as Grand Marshal of the Houston Hoedown parade.

Born and raised in Houston, Arnold has known all his life just what it takes to keep a small town going. It takes people who are dedicated and willing to work hard and dig deep to get things done.

ìIíve seen lots of changes, all of them for the better,î said Arnold from his present residence at Heritage Court in Houston. ìIt takes a lot of cooperation to get things done. Itís funny how when thereís a project, people seem to always rise to the occasion.î

Church has always come first in Arnoldís life. He is a member of Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, and has held a number of positions there. The church was always at the center of his family life as well.

Arnold was one of the people who started the nursing home in Houston.

ìIíve got my name on three different plaques here,î he said.

There were people who didnít feel that Houston needed a nursing home, and that was the first hurdle to overcome, Arnold explained. The second hurdle was securing funding for the facility. A variety of fund-raising activities were held, and donations sought. Valley View Nursing Home was built in 1967, and a wing was eventually added. An 18-unit assisted living complex was added in 1997.

Another important role that Arnold had was as president of Security Bank (now Fortress) in Houston. He was on the board of directors for the bank from 1956 to 1997.

As a business person, Arnold was involved in the Chamber of Commerce for what he describes as ìumpteenî years. He explained that the Chamber of Commerce was once a committee of the larger Commercial Club, and that the Houston Hoedown celebration, now in its 30th year, can trace its beginning to the Chamber of Commerce.

When Skiftonís store opened in 1931, it wasnít so unusual to have a ìgeneral storeî in a small town.

ìIt was the Sears Roebuck of its time,î said Arnold

However, as times changed and travel to larger cities became easier and more common, many general merchandise stores suffered. But Skiftonís endured and even thrived under Arnold and Marieís partnership. The secret to their success was that each had their own area of responsibility in the store. Marieís speciality was dolls, and she was an expert in knitting and crocheting, so the store had areas devoted to those areas. She also happened to be pretty handy at fixing things, Arnold noted. She kept things running, and cared for their two daughters, while he tended to business in the other stores they owned for awhile, including ones in Harmony, Spring Grove and Caledonia. Arnold and Marie were always grateful to have dependable, trustworthy employees to help them in their business .

Arnold has earned quite a reputation for himself in the area as a singer. His interest in singing began in grade school when a teacher took him aside and encouraged him to learn a song, despite his claim that he couldnít do it. He found he could, and, said Arnold, ìIíve been singing ever since.î

One Arnoldís greatest joys for more than 25 years has been his involvement with the Luren Singers of Decorah, Iowa. The Luren Singers are the oldest Norwegian-American chorus in the country. The group has performed in major cities throughout the U.S. and has even made two trips to Norway.

ìItís a bunch of awfully good people,î said Arnold. ìThey are from all different walks of life, all good people with good, clean habits.î

By virtue of his longevity with the group, Arnold is a lifetime member of the Luren Singers.

A highlight of Arnoldís many years with the Luren Singers came about a year and a half ago when four generations of his family had the opportunity to perform together.

Arnoldís family is encouraging him to slow down these days, which isnít easy for someone who has had such a busy life. That busy life, and the time heís spent giving to others, is what prompted the Hoedown Committee to make Arnold this yearís parade marshal. He said he could hardly believe it when they called him.

ìI thought there must be a catch to it,î he said. ìI thought they were kidding.î

When he was finally convinced that it wasnít a joke, he felt honored for the privilege to lead this yearís Hoedown parade.

ìI think it will be kind of fun,î he said.

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