Dr. Curtis L. Ahrens, 91, died at home Monday, February 10, 2020. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 29 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church with a memorial service to follow with at 11 at the church. The Rev. Danny Whitehead will be officiating. The committal in the church columbarium and a reception in the parish hall will follow the service.
Dr. Ahrens was born on October 23, 1928 in Great Bend, KS to Samuel George and Margaret Christians Ahrens. He was raised on a farm just outside of Ellinwood, KS. Upon high school graduation, he attended Kansas State University, where he received a B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois.
After receiving his PhD, he went to work for TVA for 30+ years. After retiring from TVA, Dr. Ahrens spent more than 25 years working with Habitat of the Shoals. He served on the Shoals Habitat Board of Directors from 1996 to 2001. He completed 70 Habitat homes and 8 homes for the Colbert/Lauderdale Attention Home Association and the ARC of the Shoals.
In 2014, Dr. Ahrens was the recipient of the Book of Golden Deeds Award, presented by the Exchange Club of Florence. This award recognizes dedicated volunteers who give endless hours of their time and talents toward making their communities better places to live.
Dr. Ahrens was a member of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry as Sr. Warden, Jr. Warden, Treasurer and the self-proclaimed maintenance man around the church.
Dr. Ahrens was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Kenneth, Robert and Morris Ahrens and sister, Virginia Gray.
Dr. Ahrens is survived by his wife of 64 years, Betty Branson Ahrens of Florence, AL; children Kimberly Diane Ellis, Douglas L. (Katie) Ahrens of Peachtree Corners, GA and Pamela Kay Ahrens of Florence, AL; grandsons, Bradley Ellis, Kyle Ahrens of Pasadena, CA and Matthew Grant Ahrens of Santa Monica, CA; brother, Wayne Ahrens of Ellinwood, KS; sister Irene Robinson of Wyoming, MI, and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church or the Habitat for Humanity National Office.
