Dolores was born on July 21, 1937 to Floyd and Blanche (Urbanek) Duryee in Topeka, KS. She was raised in Wichita and graduated from Wichita West High School. On February 13, 1960, she married Franklin W. Darland at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wichita. He preceded her in death in 2015. They were married for 55 years and raised their three sons in Wichita. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church since 1960.
She loved nature and all animals. She had a wide variety of pets, including cats, dogs, chickens, and a cockatiel named Reagan. She was even known to put scraps out for the neighborhood opossum. She often said, “They’re God’s creatures!”.
She enjoyed quilting, gardening, and baking, especially homemade bread, pizza, and Christmas cookies with her grandkids. She loved playing board games, Mexican train dominoes, Bananagrams, and doing puzzles. She was a lifelong learner, even enrolling in a chemistry class at Friends University in her 40s, just for fun.
Survivors include her sons: Mark (Shari), Michael (Lynnette) both of Wichita; daughter-in-law, Paula Darland, Wichita. Eight grandchildren: David (Kylie), Wichita, Crystal, Las Vegas, NV, Tyler (Laura), Easton, KS, Chad, Wichita, Matt, Las Vegas, NV, Jeffrey, Wichita, Josh, Wichita, and Andrew Darland, Wichita; five great-grandchildren: Violet, Ida, Clare, Damian, and Augustine Darland; her sister, Janice (Marshall) Stanton, Salina, KS, and brother, Floyd Duryee, Jr., Wichita, KS; many nieces and nephews, and her dear friend Kay Tate.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Thomas Darland, and her sister Vivian Schauf.
Rosary will be 7pm Sunday, December 14 and Mass of Christian Burial will be 10am, Monday, December 15, both at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 145 S. Millwood, Wichita. Burial to follow at Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, Maryland, 21741, or online at cancer.org/dignitymemorial. Donations can also be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, 123 S. Millwood Ave, Wichita, KS, 67213, or St. Joseph Catholic School, 139 S. Millwood Ave, Wichita, Kansas, 67213.
