Mrs. Christine Arnold-Hook, 91, passed away Tuesday April 21 at The Willows in Lexington under hospice care. Mrs. Arnold- Hook was born in Wilson, Arkansas on March 7, 1924, the daughter of the late Thomas Alexander and Luvada Moncrief Benson. Mrs. Arnold-Hook was best known as owner of Charles H. Arnold Distributing Company with her late husband Charlie.
Chrissie, as she was known to friends, was an avid golfer, bowler, gardener, reader, bridge player and loved to spend time with her family. She graduated from Western High School in Hickman, Kentucky in 1942. Following high school she was nominated to attend the Defense Vocational School where she studied aircraft inspection and mechanical blueprints and was then recruited to the Goodyear Aircraft Shipping Department in Akron, Ohio where the first blimp was made. It was there she met the love of her life, Charles H. Arnold.
They were married February 7,, 1945, and the Arnolds moved to Maysville where Mr. Arnold returned to work for the family soft drink business in Falmouth, Kentucky. It was decided Falmouth was not a suitable location for a wholesale beverage warehouse and they moved the business to Maysville. Chrissie could not find work so she taught herself bookkeeping and rode the route truck with Charlie each day. The sugar rationing during the war affected the availability of Pepsi Cola so the Arnolds added a wholesale beer distributorship to their business.
In the late 1950s the Arnolds expanded their wholesale beer business and formed A&W Distributing Company in Carrollton, Kentucky and later in Frankfort, and Ashland. The Arnolds bought the Phillip Hargett farm on US-68 in 1965 and developed the subdivision, Simon Kenton Acres. She owned and operated many other successful businesses including: Hilltop Ford, Central Tire, Gateway Grill, Arnold Realty and other enterprises.
Chrissie was a member of the First Christian Church in Maysville where she served as finance chairman, treasurer, deacon, choir member and numerous other offices within the church.  Chrissie was very civic minded; she was a board member of the Industrial Authority, founding member of the Chamber of Commerce, served as chairman of March of Dimes, worked for the school tax levy, PTA leader, and chosen Business Woman of the Year in 1982 by the Mason County Future Business Leaders of America. She always supported scholastic achievement and education by continually donating time, money, and soft drinks to many organizations in the community. She also established the Charles H. Arnold Memorial Scholarship at Morehead State University for a Mason County student.
She was preceded in death by her late husband's Charles H. Arnold who was tragically killed in a plane crash January 1966; and George M. Hook Jr. who died in December 2001. She was also preceded in death by two infant brothers, Verlon and Laverne Benson, and two sisters Pearl Melville and Marie Craddock.
Chrissie is survived by two daughters Kathy Arnold Stone (Robert) of Lexington Kentucky, Cheryl Arnold Brown (Brian) of Lexington Kentucky, three grandchildren Julie Lowe Owens (Jordan) of Lexington Kentucky, Patrick Alexander Brown of Frisco Colorado, Kristen Elizabeth Brown of Lexington Kentucky, two great-grandchildren, Reece Allen Owens and Jonathan Downing Owens both of Lexington Kentucky. She is also survived by two sisters Laura Croan of Fort Scott Kansas, and Carol Farmer of Southgate Kentucky. The heartfelt thanks to special caregiver, Caprice Brown. Extended family Billy (Lisa) Goldsmith of Morehead, Bobby Goldsmith of Amelia, OH, Jill Goldsmith (Neal) Parsons of Finley, OH and Joyce Arnold (Don) West of Covington.
Funeral Services will be conducted at 2 PM, on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the First Christian Church in Maysville.  Interment will follow in the Maysville Cemetery.  Visitation will be held from 12 noon – 2 PM at the church.  The Palmer Funeral Home of May's Lick is serving the family.
Expressions of sympathy are suggested to the First Christian Church 18 East 3rd Street Maysville Kentucky and/or  to the charity of one's choice.  Online condolences to www.palmerfuneralhome.net

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