Gertrude M. "Queenie" Darnall

Gertrude M. “Queenie” Darnall, 99, an Austin resident for the past 66 years, passed away at her home on Wednesday, September 29, 2010. She was born in Harvey, North Dakota on August 21, 1911 to Lawrence Oberst Miller and Gertrude Wolf Miller.

Queenie graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from St. Mary’s in Rochester, Minnesota. There she met her husband, Dr. Charles M. Darnall, a young intern at the Mayo Clinic. They were married in 1933 in Northwood, Iowa, on their way to Des Moines to tell Queenie’s parents of their intent to wed. They moved to Austin in 1934, where Dr. Darnall founded the Capitol Medical Clinic. Together they built their current home in 1941.

Queenie loved life and had a wonderful sense of humor. She was an avid supporter of the University of Texas and especially enjoyed attending U. T. baseball and basketball games. She was thrilled to serve as an honorary coach at one of the Lady Longhorns basketball games. She enjoyed hunting and fishing with her husband and friends, and loved to travel. Queenie was an avid card player and the family “Spite or Malice” champion, regularly winning against her daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Queenie was a faithful member of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, a member of the Junior League of Austin, a member of the Auxiliary of Seton Hospital and the Texas Club of Internists, with whom she enjoyed many trips, and she served as President of the Travis County Medical Alliance. She was also a founding member of the Next-to-New Shop.

Queenie is predeceased by her parents and her devoted husband Dr. Charles Milton Darnall; her brothers Lawrence Miller, John Miller, and Robert Miller, and her sister Kathryn Bessel. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Dan Clinton, of Houston; granddaughters Mary Kay Jackson and her husband Charles of Accra, Ghana, West Africa, and Laura Fulton and her husband David, of Houston; grandson Dr. Charles Darnall Clinton, Lt. Col, USAF, of Hill AFB, Utah; and great-grandchildren Charles Jackson of Blacksburg, VA; Ken Jackson of Accra, Ghana; Shannon and Connor Fulton of Houston; Kyle Clinton of Timpson, Texas; her sister-in-law Ardyce Miller of Bismarck, North Dakota, niece Jean Tandy and husband David of Georgetown; and numerous nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. Queenie was the glue holding together family in Texas, Minnesota, North Dakota and California.

The family is grateful to the doctors and staff of the Capital Medical Clinic and to her caregivers – Mary Z. Daniels, Aurora Jackson, Lois Patton, Linda Loach, and others – for their wonderful care for Queenie.

Friends are invited to visit with the family on Friday, October 1, 2010, from 5:00 to 7:00 p. m. at the Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home at 3125 North Lamar Boulevard. Services will be held at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 10:30 a.m., with the Reverend Ron Smith conducting. Burial will follow at Austin Memorial Park.

Pall bearers will be Charles Darnall Clinton, David Fulton, David Tandy, Charles Jackson V, Jeff Kempf, Neal Watt, and James Watt.

In lieu of flowers and customary remembrances, the family requests that contributions be made to The Seton Fund, 1201 W 38th Street, Austin, TX 78705; or St. David’s Episcopal Church Memorial Gardens, 301 E. 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701.