GARRETT, Ind. -- Arline Heupel died Friday, Jan.16, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne surrounded by her loving family. She was 90 years old. Arline Marie Mellott was born June 26, 1924, in Holdrege, Neb. After graduating from Holdrege High School in 1942, she waited until her brothers returned from World War II before moving to Washington, D.C., where she went to work as a secretary at the Pentagon. There, she met Donald F. Heupel, who was also stationed at the Pentagon with the U.S. Army. They were married Dec. 2, 1949, in Arlington, Va. The couple soon moved to Cromwell, Ind., then to Lake Wawasee and Franklin while Don was in the Army. After establishing Don's Filling Station at 608 S. Randolph Street in Garrett in 1951, they lived in Auburn while building a house in Garrett, and moved there in early 1953. Along with Don's, they owned and operated other area businesses over the years, such as a Gambles store in downtown Garrett, a Lawn Boy mower shop, a Schwinn cyclery, a fuel oil delivery business, other gasoline stations in Garrett and Kendallville and a B.F. Goodrich tire store in Fort Wayne, among other ventures, under the corporate name of Local Services Inc. After Don died in 1970, Arline became president of Local Services and later worked as a legal secretary for John Martin Smith and Charles Quinn in Auburn. She was then employed as a deputy county clerk for DeKalb County and retired from that position in 1989. In 1997, she sold Local Services and Don's Filling Station to developers of a Huck's Food and Fuel business on the site. She is survived by son Dana (wife Kathie Wozniak) of Springfield, Ill.; daughter Carol Rhodes (husband Roger) of Bloomington, Ind.; son Richard (wife Laura) of Albany; and daughter Janene Trobridge (husband Rick) of Wabash. Arline had five grandchildren, Jonathan Heupel (wife Katie) of Chicago, Melanie Keller (husband Andy) of Bloomington, Julia Rhodes of Richmond, Va., Gina Johnson (husband Matt) of San Francisco, Calif., and Abigail Rhodes of Bloomington; and three great-grandchildren, August and Andrew Heupel of Chicago and Malone Johnson of San Francisco. Arline was preceded in death by her parents: Darwin M. and Myrtle I. Mellott; husband: Donald F. Heupel; brothers: Lloyd Mellott and Gerald Mellott. Among other interests, Arline was active in the Garrett United Methodist Church, Meals on Wheels, the Food Bank and the DeKalb County Republican Party. She also ran unsuccessfully for Garrett city clerk and worked at voting locations during many elections. During the final year of her life, she resided at Bickford Senior Living in Wabash, although she still maintained a residence in Garrett. Visitation will take place from 4-7 p.m. Monday, January 19, 2015 at Thomas Funeral Home - Garrett, IN. and from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at the Garrett United Methodist Church The funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at the Garrett United Methodist Church with Dr. Scott Shoaff officiating. Burial will follow in Christian Union Cemetery - Garrett, IN Memorials are to the Garrett United Methodist Church You may send a condolence or sign the on-line register book by visiting: www.thomasfuneralhome.org