Photo by Carly Pearson
Around 750 people attend the funeral of Beau Arndt on Thursday at the Flint Hills Christian Church's Harvest House.
In a service filled with tears and laughter, about 750 family and friends said goodbye to Beau Arndt on Thursday.
Arndt was killed Saturday by a rifle shot fired from a passing pickup truck into a field in northwest Lyon County where the 18-year-old Americus teen was hunting geese with two friends.
Mourners filled the Flint Hills Christian Church’s Harvest House on Thursday, some standing three deep along the walls during the hour-long service. They were surrounded by memories. Two goose decoys sat in front of the white casket. Posters filled with photos of Arndt’s life surrounded a table filled with memorabilia.
They laughed when they discovered that Beau Mitchell Arndt almost was named Arnie Arndt when he was born. That information came from an essay the teen had written in March titled “Who Am I?” It was read by the Rev. Dave Hintz, pastor of Flint Hills Christian Church.
“She liked the sound of Arnie Arndt, the double-A baby,” Beau Arndt wrote about his mother, Chris.
Photo by Carly Pearson
The Rev. Dave Hintz wipes away a tear as he gives the eulogy at the funeral.
He continued by saying he appreciated his father’s common sense in vetoing the name choice. He concluded by defining his past and future by his love of the outdoors and four seven-letter words: hunting, camping, fishing and boating.
Many friends’ memories shared during the service included stories of outdoor adventures, including Arndt wrestling a 25-pound catfish to the bank during a camping trip or crossing an icy-cold creek to sneak up on a turkey for the perfect shot with his bow.
Beau missed, Shane Bitler said, recounting the story. Instead, the arrow landed in a dead log behind the bird. Because they had nothing to dig out the arrow, they hauled the log back out with the arrow embedded in it. Bitler said he teased his friend about killing the log.
Photo by Carly Pearson
An estimated 750 people attend Thursday’s funeral for Americus teenager Beau Arndt. The funeral was at Emporia’s Flint Hills Christian Church. Arndt, 18, was hunting Dec. 15 in rural Lyon County when he was killed by a shot fired from a passing truck.
“Next time, you take the shot, Robin Hood,” Bitler said his friend replied.
Beau’s uncle, Charlie Jeffrey, remembered a nephew for whom family was important, especially his grandmother, Eleanor Stout.
Photo by Carly Pearson
Jacquelyne Leffler speaks at the funeral of her lifelong friend and neighbor, Beau Arndt.
With his family living across the country, Jeffrey said, they kept up with news of Beau and his brother and sister through Stout.
“When he got his first deer,” Jeffrey said of his nephew, “the first person he called right from the stand was his Grammy.
“He whispered his excitement.”
Photo by Carly Pearson
Arndt's Uncle Charlie Jeffrey, left, speaks at his funeral after Pastor Dave Hintz broke down and was unable to read his remarks for him.
Jeffrey noted Beau’s impact on a variety of people through his short life. The crowd at the funeral was a visual testimony to that impact. Arndt spent his entire life in the Americus community, attending school there through eighth grade, then three years at Emporia High School before graduating from Northern Heights. He’d just completed his first semester at Emporia State University.
Those who came to remember him included nearly 200 classmates and faculty from North Lyon County schools as well as students and faculty from Emporia, baseball teammates and fellow hunters.
“We hope when this terrible cloud of grief has begun to lift,” Jeffrey told them, “and when you all think of Beau that you can feel proud.
“Proud that you gave us such a remarkable boy and such an extraordinary young man.”
And people weren’t the only ones who seemed to show their respect for the young man. The trip to the cemetery west of Americus took mourners past a gaggle of geese on King Lake near Interstate 35 and past fields that Beau Arndt routinely hunted. In one of those fields, four deer, including two large bucks, lifted their heads and stood silently watching the more than 100 cars drive past.
Photo by Carly Pearson
Shane Bitler is comforted by Beau Arndt's father Bob after sharing a few of his memories about Beau at his funeral on Thursday.
This blending of the animal and human world was obvious to Jacquelyne Leffler, a Northern Heights senior who grew up with Beau as a neighbor west of Americus. In her eulogy, Jacquelyne noted that when a goose is sick or injured and falls from the sky, two others leave the group to stay with it until it can fly again. Then, she looked back to Saturday morning.
“When Beau fell, two of his friends from the flock,” she began before stopping to wipe away tears. “Two of his friends from the flock were there to help him find his way so he could fly to heaven.”
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Posted by canchaser_412 (anonymous) on December 21, 2007 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What a wonderful service I heard they had! So proud of those kids for getting up and talking about such a great kid.
Posted by neighbor (anonymous) on December 21, 2007 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It was a very emotional service, and very moving. The classmates, friends, and family that got up and spoke did something I could have never done, my heart went out to all of them. The flock of geese was impressive, I told my family how fitting it was to see such a sight, that perhaps Beau was telling us he was with us. When my daughter spotted the deer North of Emporia(there were a dozen by the way) we were all sure he was letting us know he was okay. The two large bucks were trophy quality! I was surprised the large flocks of turkey that are usually seen along the route weren't out in the fields as well. I was very glad to see that some of Beau's buddies who had the tough task of being casket bearers were wearing their camo jackets at the cemetary, how appropriate, I wish I would have worn mine. I hope the family can find peace and get on with their lives now that the hard part is behind them. I will never forget Beau. I hope I get the chance to meet up with, and become good friends with more young people just like him. I told several of his close friends that they could call me anytime they wanted or needed a hunting partner, it would please me very much to hunt with any of them. I intend to continue to speak out against road hunting and poaching, to see to it that something is done to help prevent this kind of tragedy in the future. Randy
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