Arnold Edward Brinkerhoff

Arnold (AB, B, Brink, or Arnie) Brinkerhoff passed away on March 23, 2023 in Powell,
Wyoming at the age of 91.
Arnold was born on February 7, 1932 in the Lovell Hospital. He was number 5 of 10 children
born to Warren Brinkerhoff and Vera Allred, and was greeted by 12 older half siblings. The
family was raised on “the old family farm” southwest of Lovell where everyone was expected to
work to provide for the family. Arnold grew up hoeing beets, trapping for pelts, gathering
magpie eggs, scavenging iron, brass, and copper at the dump, raising and selling orphaned
lambs, hauling hay, spreading manure on the fields, irrigating, loading beets at the end of the
growing season, and much more. All the work was done by horses and by hand.
After graduating from Lovell High School in 1950, Arnold began working for Decker
Construction in Worland. In the summer of 1951 he met Marian Zeller on a spontaneous blind
date where they went roller skating. After a few months, Arnold loaded his car to move to
Williston, North Dakota for work and asked Marian if she wanted to go with him. They were
married January 4, 1952 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They added eight children to their
family, two girls followed by six boys. He and Marian also served as foster parents to eighteen
children for a total of 11 1⁄2 years.
Arnold’s employers included True Oil Company and MDU which took the family to Worland,
Moorcroft, and finally, Powell. To earn extra income, even after retiring, he did drywall
teaching his sons and grandsons the same. The family built their own Capp home on Lane 9 in
Powell.
Arnold was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he worked
mainly in the Sunday School and in the scouting program. He worked as a Billings LDS Temple
ordinance worker for three 3 years.
Arnold loved spending time in the Big Horn Mountains, especially on horseback with sons and
grandsons. Basketball was his game and he faithfully followed the Powell Panthers even
keeping his own stats on the girls’ games this year. Hunting was a favorite, fishing not so much.
His garden was award winning, especially the corn, and he enjoyed giving produce to others.
Arnold is survived by his daughter Bonnie Zabel (Robert) of Gillette, sons Bart (Jan) and Gary
(Margaret) of Powell, son Mark (Kathy) of Evanston, daughter-in-law Christina of Evanston, son
Brian (Shauna) of Tampa, Florida, brother Floyd of Lovell, sisters Glenda Asay (Gary) of Lovell,
Karen Simonsen (Chris) of Bountiful, Utah, brothers-in-law Max Zeller (Cindy) of Casper and
Larry Coppock of Caldwell, Idaho, 29 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and 3 on the way.
Arnold was preceded in death by his wife Marian in 2015, daughter Cathy Jo, sons Bruce and
Ward (Pep), grandson Aaron Brinkerhoff, twin granddaughters Courtney and Alissa Brinkerhoff,
8 sisters, and 10 brothers.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the Church of Latter-Day Saints at 1026 Ave E                                    beginning at 9:00 am.  A Viewing will be held on Friday, March 31, 2023 from 6-7:30 pm at Thompson Funeral                          Home and also  at 8:00 am on Saturday at the church.

For livestreaming following the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/923747652201430/