Jan 7, 2020

Arla Marie Hallden Dague, 82, passed away peacefully Thursday, December 26, 2019, in Cornerstone Hospice, Tavares, Fla. Her passing was a result of complications from a sudden fall she sustained unexpectedly while visiting her family in Florida for the holidays.

She is survived by her two children and four grandchildren; her daughter, Cheri Dague Contorakes, her husband Evan and their two children, Katie and J.C.; as well her son, Keith Dague, his wife Jodi and their two children, Connor and Cassie. She also bids farewell to her ex-husband and lifelong friend, Charles Dague.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar “Vic” Hallden (1980) and her mother, N. Marie Nichols Hallden (1988).

A lifelong resident of Washington, Arla was born June 11, 1937, to Swedish immigrant parents. She spent her early years living in Goat Hill, a Washington neighborhood known at the time for its strong Swedish community filled with friends and extended family. The Hallden family was actively involved with The VASA Order of America, a Swedish American Fraternal Organization, and many of Arla’s earliest friendships were forged there.

Before beginning grade school at Gabby Heights Elementary, her family moved to the Franklin Farms/North Franklin Area, where she would go on to reside for the rest of her life. Graduating from Trinity High School in 1955, Arla made many treasured friendships that she preserved to this day.

Following her graduation, Arla worked at Jessop Steel as an office assistant until the birth of her children in 1962. Once her children began school, she resumed her working career in the accounting department of Fairmont Supply Company. While there, she developed many close friendships that she maintained beyond her retirement in 1999. A group of several Fairmont Supply co-workers, including herself, continued to meet for breakfast every month since their retirements to share stories and friendship. She looked forward to her meetings with these ladies and often spoke of how much they meant to her.

Aside from work and family, faith and service were a very important part of Arla’s life. She was actively involved throughout the 1970s, ’80s and into the ’90s with the Business Professional Women’s Organization (BPW) of Washington. After her retirement, she became increasingly active at her church, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Scenery Hill. She spent many years on the church council, as well as coordinating the kitchen committee and volunteering many hours. It brought her immense joy to contribute to a church that she felt had given her so much fellowship. In her later years, she had great appreciation for her friends, who always drove her to church events when it became difficult for her to drive herself. As a woman of faith, she was comforted in her final hours and passed peacefully into God’s care.

Arla was a woman who filled her life with the things that mattered most to her, friends, family and love. Many mornings were filled making Swedish pancakes for her loved ones or attending sporting events to watch her grandchildren, and those are the moments that we will cherish the most. She will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved her.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 11, in Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 21 Church Road, Scenery Hill, PA 15360, with the Rev. William B. Henry Jr. officiating. The family will be receiving visitors at the church beginning at 10 a.m. All other services will be private and held at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be directed to Bethlehem Lutheran Church.