Arlene Geraldine Johnson was born in Detroit Lakes, MN on May 24, 1922, to August Quade and Sophia Zehms Quade. She was the fourth of six children. As a child she moved with her family to LeRoy, MN where she graduated from high school. She was very proud of learning to play the French horn. It was during her childhood she and her siblings enjoyed walking to Lake Louise where they would go swimming and pick wildflowers. She had a lifelong love of swimming, boating, and waterskiing.