ROGERS — Amilda (Tolkmit) Sporleder,

age 88, of Rogers, Ark., passed away peacefully on October 4, surrounded by her family’s love after a courageous eight-year battle against Multiple Myeloma.

Born October 1, 1935 in Pinki, Ukraine, Amilda spent her early childhood living on a farm and was responsible for tending some of the livestock, including a little lamb who followed her everywhere she went. In 1943, as Russia was expanding the war into Ukraine, the family became refugees traveling by foot, trucks, and many days in cattle box cars to German refugee camps and finally to Hammelburg, Germany. While living in Hammelburg for 10 years, she developed some strong friendships with her German classmates.

In 1948, her father applied to emigrate to the United States. They were finally approved to start a new life arriving in New York on a transport ship on April 20, 1952. On arrival the family of nine was given a loan of $50 per family member – they purchased their tickets and took a train from New York to Stockton, Calif.

After graduating from high school, she moved to the Los Angeles area to work as an au pair. While out listening to music and dancing with her brother, she met her first husband, Robert Bell. Married in 1955, they soon started a family and settled in Glendale, Calif. In Glendale, she became active in supporting her children’s schools and activities including sewing over 100 choir robes for the Balboa Elementary TuneSmiths, fitting band member uniforms and sewing drill team costumes for the Glendale Youth Band, and chaperoning innumerable school field trips and Youth Band performances.

Her charity work included serving as a ‘captain’ for the March of Dimes and American Heart Association; and supporting community organizations including the Patron’s Club and the Glendale/ Higashiosaka, Japan Sister City Committee which honored her dedication and organization of events surrounding the Brand Park Japanese Tea House grand opening.

Drawing off her parent’s experiences during the Bolshevik Revolution and her own experiences living under communist and socialist governments, supporting political freedom was important to her. Amilda studied U.S. history and government structure, gaining a better understanding than many born in the U.S. and scored 100% on her Citizenship tests becoming a U.S. citizen on October 9, 1959. She was active in supporting the Republican Party, including serving as a precinct captain organizing ‘get out and vote’ activities on election days getting 99% voter turnout.

Amilda was extremely talented and creative – her talents are too many to list but she would do anything she set her mind to – from building a home-based seamstress business to singlehandedly stuccoing her house in Glendale, to creating the architectural plans for a vacation home in Big Bear Lake, Calif.

Amilda later met John Sporleder and they married in 1982 and continued her life in Glendale, working as the manager of a women’s figure salon and later as the number one salesperson at a high-end furniture store.

Amilda and John moved to Rogers, Ark., in 1989, settling on the shores of Beaver Lake for an early retirement. Amilda and John soon built a wide circle of friends and were active members of the Northwest Arkansas Boat Club - Beaver Lake. Amilda served as President of the Northwest German-American Club for many years. She loved to dance to any music, but her favorites were the traditional German songs - before her health starting failing she never missed an opportunity to dress up in one of her dirndls to schunkeln and dance on top of the tables.

Amilda and John were able to make many extended vacations to Germany visiting old classmates and visiting too many castles to count. She attended her 60th anniversary of her Lutheran confirmation in 2010. She would make friends anywhere she went she will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched.

Amilda is lovingly remembered and survived by her husband of 41 years, John Sporleder, of Rogers; her son, Donald Bell and his wife Lori of St. Charles Mo.,; her daughter, Elaine and her husband Kevin Murphey of Bella Vista; her grandchildren, Brandon Bell of St Charles, Mo., Dr. Gretchen Bell of Atlanta, Ga., and Michael Rosen of Fayetteville, Ark. Amilda also leaves behind her sisters, Erna Michel and Margaret Platt; her brother, Wilhelm Tolkmit; numerous nieces and nephews; many cousins living in the United States and Germany; and several family friends who loved her as their Second Mother.

Amilda is preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Martha Tolkmit; and brothers, Fredrich, Waldemar, and Rudolph Tolkmit.

A special thank you to the care team at Highlands Oncology Group, including Dr. Gregory Oakhill and Lori Barber, as well as the compassionate staff at Circle of Life Hospice. She also greatly appreciated Manuel Huchin and Jonas Baires for always being available and helping with different projects over the past 12 years.

Visitation will be Tuesday, October 10 from 5-7 p.m. at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home, 100 S. 28th Street, Rogers. Funeral services will be Wednesday, October 11 at 11 a.m., at the Hunt Chapel at Pinnacle Memorial Gardens, 5930 S. Wallis Road, Rogers.

To place an online tribute, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com