Arlene D Unruh

Arlene D. Unruh 91, Bismarck, passed away, Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Sanford Hospital in Bismarck.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, March 6 at McCabe Methodist Church in Bismarck with Pastor Dan Sweeney officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Bismarck. Visitation will be on Thursday, March 5 from 5-7 PM with a Prayer Service at 7 PM at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home in Mandan.

Arlene was born on September 18, 1934, on a farm north of New Salem, the third of five children to John and Nina (Hutchison) Sorge. She attended school in New Salem and graduated from class in 1953.

On October 27, 1957, she married Rodney Unruh, the love of her life for 68 1/2 years. Rodney and Arlene built their life together on a family farm along Highway 49, a place where hard work, love, and faith shaped every day. They were true partners in every sense - supporting each other, sharing every task, and rarely seen apart. Their bond was strong, their teamwork natural, and their love unmistakable. They were inseparable. When they learned their oldest daughter was deaf, they didn’t hesitate to do whatever was best for their children. For eight years, they spent the school year in Denver so their two deaf daughters could attend school, then returned home to the farm each summer. After spending eight years in Denver for the girls’ schooling, the family moved back to the farm and began spending the school year in Devils Lake so the girls could attend the North Dakota School for the Deaf while the boys went to school in Devils Lake. They continued that routine until 1980, when they finally settled on the farm full‑time. Their life was never simple, but it was always filled with purpose.

Arlene’s heart was in her home. She loved to bake and cook, and her caramel rolls became a favorite for anyone lucky enough to taste them. Her kitchen was always warm, always welcoming, and she made sure no one ever left hungry. Feeding people was her love language.

Her happiest season was spring calving time. She loved the early mornings, the new life on the farm, and the sense of renewal it brought each year. It was a time that truly lit her up and reflected the care and devotion she poured into everything she did. During harvest, you could always find her behind the wheel of her white Chevy grain truck—her truck—driving it with pride and purpose. It was just one more way she showed how capable and hardworking she truly was.

Arlene was the heart of her family and the backbone of the farm. She was a tireless worker—canning, cooking, tending animals, helping with harvest, caring for calves in the spring, and always putting her family first. No matter how long the day was, she showed up with strength, love, and a quiet determination that everyone admired. She loved bringing the family together, and she was proud of each and every one of them. Her home was a place where you were always welcomed, always fed, and always loved.

Hard work wasn’t something she did; it was who she was. And she poured that same dedication into her family, her home, and the life she built on the farm.

Arlene was the kind of wife, mother, and grandmother anyone could hope for—steady, loving, and always there when you needed her. Her faith was a guiding light in her life. She believed deeply in God, and that quiet, unwavering faith shaped the way she loved, worked, and cared for her family. It gave her strength through every season, and she passed that strength on to the people she loved most.

Blessed to have shared her life is her husband, Rodney Unruh, Bismarck; two daughters Shelly Geiszler, Bismarck, and Karla Huncovsky (James Johnson), Mandan; two sons Keith (Stacey) Unruh, Glen Ullin and Kenny Unruh (Bekki Childress), Zap. Seven grandchildren; Faye Geiszler and Cody (Nikita) Geiszler; KC (Tracy) Unruh, Chris Unruh, Kamron (Jaime) Unruh, Kyrstin (Julian) Jankowski; and Brook (Blake) Smith. 16 great-grandchildren, Aspen and Ryder Swenningson, Owen and Carter Geiszler, Ella, Eva, Haelynn, Madeyn, Callen, Charley Unruh, Tenlynn, Sophie, Traxx and Starry Jankowski, Harper Knoll and Blazely Smith. One sister, Evelyn Schwagler, New Salem; one brother Don Sorge, Washburn; one sister-in-law, Jeannette Sorge, Houston, Texas.

Arlene was preceded in death by her parents John and Nina Sorge, two brothers Robert and Marvin Sorge, grandson Blaze Unruh and infant granddaughter Jessica Unruh, father and mother-in-law Jake and Alvina Unruh, brother-in-law Edgar Schwagler, two sisters in law, Marjorie (Danzeisen) Sorge and Linda (Held) Sorge, son-in-law Loren Geiszler

To view the funeral livestream, follow this link to the church YouTube page. McCabe Church ND - YouTube