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Shirley Mae "Polly" Halsey Arnold went to be with her Lord and Savior on October 21, 2024, at Commonwealth Senior Living Facility at Hillsville, VA. She was born November 27, 1936, to her loving parents, William and Virginia Halsey.

At a very early age, she accepted the Lord as her Savior and has desired to serve him for the last 76 years, while never missing Sunday School for 53 years in a row.  She was a faithful member of the Grassy Creek Baptist Church until 1956.  She graduated from Virginia Carolina High School in 1955. After graduation, she worked at the hosiery mill in Independence, VA until September of 1956.  On September 29, 1956, she wed the love of her life, Malcom Arnold, and they moved to Maryland. For the next ten years, she worked at Edgewood Arsenal in Edgewood, MD.

Malcom was saved in September of 1964 and they both joined the Emmorton Baptist Church in Bel Air, MD where they became very active in the work of the Lord. They loved visiting the elderly of the church and members that were sick or hospitalized. Shirley was a Sunday School teacher for years, a faithful helper in Vacation Bible School, sang in the choir and served as the church's Assistant Treasurer.

When their lovely daughter Melissa was born in 1966, Shirley stayed home and helped Malcom with his construction business and with church activities. After 14 years at home, she returned to work at the Department of Defense's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, MD until her retirement in 1993.

Upon retirement, she and Malcom moved to Galax and built their house in the Baywood area of Grayson County. Upon completion of the house, they traveled to different states, highlighted by a trip to Hawaii given to them for their 50th wedding anniversary by their daughter and her family.

She is survived by her daughter, Melissa and husband, David Drummond, of Henderson, TN, three lovely grandchildren, April Marie and husband Caleb Ballard, of Hubert, NC, twins, Amber Faye Drummond, of Jacksonville, NC, and David Malcom Drummond, of Hubert NC, and a great granddaughter, Julia Rose, and a great grandson, James Colton, both of Hubert, NC; one sister, Musetta Adams of Mouth of Wilson, VA, one brother, Ronald Halsey of Hamptonville, NC and sister-in-law, Betty Halsey of Myrtle Beach, SC.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Malcom, two brothers, William (Bill) Halsey and Mack Halsey, a sister-in-law, Lou Halsey and brother-in-law, H.P. Adams, Jr.

Visitation will be held Friday, October 25, 2024, from 6-8 p.m. at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home, 44 Dan Walters Dr., Independence, VA. A service will be held Saturday, October 26, 2024, beginning at 11 a.m. at the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow in the Grassy Creek Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Shirley's memory may be sent to The Gospel Hour, Inc. at www.TheGospelHour.org or 1-800-745-0324 .

Reins-Sturdivant is serving the Arnold family.