Arvid M. Monson

Dr. Arvid Monroe Monson passed away peacefully on September 8, 2026 at his home in Fairbury, Nebraska at the age of 88 years.

Arvid was born on February 9, 1938 to Alvin and Irene (Noble) Monson in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. He grew up helping his parents on the farm while he attended school in Pine River from where he graduated in 1956. After high school Arvid attended the University of Minnesota to study biology. He was a member of the Farmhouse Fraternity and was very proud of being an alumnus of the U of M, often seen sporting his favorite maroon and gold cap. It was here that Arvid met Miss Barbara Jean Olson, a beautiful nursing student from the Iron Range. Their first date was a picnic and canoeing down the river, and Arvid was smitten. Arvid and Barbara were married on August 18, 1962 in Hibbing, Minnesota. They lived in Minneapolis while they both continued to pursue their master’s degrees and later welcomed their son Alan to their family. The Monsons moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania a couple of years later where Arvid was a professor at Allegheny College. He also taught at schools in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Wyoming, retiring in 2003.

Arvid especially enjoyed his hobby of being a ham radio operator because he loved talking with people. His faith in God was foundational to his life and shaped the generous way he lived. He lived a life marked by kindness, patience, and faithfulness.

Arvid was preceded in death by his wife Barbara in 2018, his parents, his sister Judith in 1941 and brother Noel in 2007. He is survived by his son Alan and daughter-in-law Michelle in Fairbury, and four grandchildren; Alex in Brainerd, MN, Daniel and Josie in Fairbury, and Joshua in Lincoln, NE.

Burial at Salem Covenant cemetery in Oakland, Nebraska.