Darlene M. (Nelson) Teachout (2017)

ALDREN, DALES, DALY, HANN, NELSON, THATCHER, TEACHOUT, WASHINGTON

Posted By: Shirley Keating
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:02:53

Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home
Rapid City, South Dakota
September 2017

PIEDMONT |

Darlene Teachout passed away on Sept. 4, 2017, at Clarkson Health Care in Rapid City with family by her side. She was 89 and had been a resident of Piedmont, until moving to Clarkson in 2011.

The small town of Winterset is nestled in the rolling hills of central Iowa. When Darlene Marie was born on March 7, 1928 to Gladys (Hann) and Ray Nelson at home on the family farm in nearby Peru, no one knew that a boy, born in Winterset two decades earlier, would become the iconic John Wayne, or that the town would gain further fame in the book and movie, The Bridges of Madison's County. Nor did anyone know that within two years the country would be plunged into the Great Depression.

Darlene's first eight years of school were spent in a one-room schoolhouse. World War II overshadowed her teen years. To the young Darlene, Iowa was a beloved home, and she graduated from Winterset High School in 1945, where she excelled in sports and was an enthusiastic cheerleader. Many cousins and other relatives lived nearby and extended family dinners on Sundays were the norm. Darlene later wrote in her biography for extension club, “My happiest memory is living and growing up on a farm in Iowa with lots of family and friends. My greatest joy was attending school for eight years in that one-room schoolhouse and all the great teachers I had. They instilled in me that I could do anything if I just tried!” Like many rural American kids of her generation, her hopes and dreams teetered between the security of staying on the farm and the romance of seeing the world.

Darlene's interest in drama took her to Drake University in Des Moines, IA for two years, where she was inducted into Zeta Phi Eta. Her college roommate (also Darlene) introduced her to Jerry Teachout, who was a friend of her boyfriend (also a Jerry). They courted for a short time and were married on June 29, 1947 in Winterset, IA.

The young couple's first home was in Shenandoah, IA, where their daughter and first son were born. Jerry entered the Air Force Reserve in Omaha, NE as a pilot. When he was sent to serve in the Korean War in 1950-51, Darlene and the children stayed in Shenandoah with Jerry’s family. Thus began her "career" as an Air Force wife with all of the ups and downs it entailed. Over the years Jerry's assignments took the family to Greenville, SC, Toul-Rosières and Évreux, France (where they also traveled to England, Holland and Germany for vacations), College Park, MD, and San Antonio, TX. Two more boys were born to them before the family moved to Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City, SD in 1962. World travel provided a wonderful education for all of the family, and they made many wonderful friends along the way. Jerry's work absences often proved difficult for Darlene with the task of raising four children on her own. But she held her own as a devoted mother, head of the household, and business owner during those challenging times!

As they looked to retirement from the USAF in 1971, Darlene and Jerry decided to make South Dakota their final home. They purchased the Timber of Ages (now Elk Creek Resort and Black Hills Petrified Forest) in 1963 and restored the 88 acres to again become a thriving visitor attraction. They built their home on the property and moved from base housing to Piedmont in 1965. Darlene served as the Gift Shop Manager, bookkeeper and "Jill of all trades" in the business until the next generation took over management in 1991. They built their retirement home on the "back 40" acres of their property in 1997 and sold the business and related acreage in 2002.

Darlene was an enthusiastic participant in the Piedmont community for over 50 years. She was an active member of Grace United Methodist Church and its Ladies Evening Circle, her local and state chapters of the South Dakota Extension Club, the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Rapid Free Radicals chapter of the Red Hat Society. She loved music, the Carol Burnett Show, spiritual reading, league bowling, hosting tea parties, family dinners and reunions of family and USAF friends, winter travels to Arizona in their motor home, and visits to and from family and their many friends. Dachshunds held a special place in her heart, and she raised several litters of puppies from a few of the family "wiener dogs." Her collections included Hummel figurines and plates from all over the world. She also loved crafts and she made hundreds of yarn pocket crosses, which she gave to friends and nurses who provided care during hospital stays. Blue was her first favorite color, but she also became attached to purple and red as shown by her many "Red Hat" wardrobe selections!

Darlene is survived by Jerry, her husband of 70 years; daughter, Anna Marie (Graham) Thatcher of Rapid City; sons, Bruce (Nancy) of Yankton, Bryan (Lisa) of Rapid City and Brent (Lonie) of Piedmont; grandchildren, Jessica (Jason) Washington, Robert, Joel, and Eric Teachout, Kristy (Todd) Aldren, and Sarah Daly; great-grandchildren, Jilian and Jonah Aldren and Devin Washington; sister, Betty (Lloyd) Dales of Indianola, IA; and extended family and friends too numerous to mention. She is also survived by an exchange "daughter," Chie (Nori) Otsubo of Marugame, Kagawa, Japan, "grandson," Kazuhiro (Erina) and "great-grandaughter," Yuzu; and Isabel Herguera, her AFS "granddaughter" from San Sebastian, Spain. Her parents and a brother, Andrew, preceded her in death.

The family extends our heartfelt gratitude to Pastor Karl Kroger and special friends, Sr. Susan Pohl and Rebeca Lyle, for their visits to Darlene, and also to the angels at Clarkson Health Care for providing such wonderful care during her six-year residence. We so appreciate Clarkson's love and unwavering support for Jerry and our family as we "camped out" during our mother's final three days. Bless you all!

Family Visitation and Reception will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at Grace United Methodist Church in Piedmont, followed by lunch and burial at Black Hills National Cemetery.

Darlene requested that memorials be directed to the Grace United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, and condolences may be sent to 3213 West Main Street #272, Rapid City, SD 57702.
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Transcriber's note: Winterset Madisonian states Darlene's husband is named Gerald E. "Jerry" Teachout.

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