Her parents farmed near Kersey. She was raised with her older brother, Dennis, older sister, Donna, and two younger sisters, Dorothy (Dottie) and Deanne. Darlene went to school in Kersey to start and later her family moved to Greeley where she finished school.
Darlene became a salad girl and later a cook at Bonell Good Samaritan Center in Greeley. She also worked at UNC, the Thompson Valley school district in Loveland, and finally for Eaton schools as a custodian until she retired. She enjoyed traveling, crocheting, needle work, and liked to cook.
Darlene met Richard through mutual friends in 1963, and shortly after started dating. Richard wanted to keep her around because she was so kind, sweet, and quiet. They married May 25, 1963.
Darlene had many serious surgeries throughout her life, but she always managed to recover, until October of 2020 when she found she had pancreatic cancer. She thought she could beat it, but the chemotherapy wasn't strong enough. She fought it hard, but the enemy eventually won on February 18, 2022 at 4:00 a.m.
She is survived by her husband Richard who will always love and miss her so very much.
