Feller, Darlene Mae (Mrs. Ralph) 1937-2024

FELLER, AHRENDSEN, LEHRMAN, CRISWELL

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/7/2024 at 14:00:57

Darlene M. Feller, 86, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away Sunday, January 21, 2024, at her home surrounded by her family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 26, 2024, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Oyens, Iowa. Father Timothy Pick will celebrate Mass. Burial will follow at St. Catherine Cemetery in Oyens. There will be a Parish Rosary at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Visitation with the family present will follow the Rosary until 7:00 p.m. There will be a Scriptural Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials can be made in Darlene’s name to the Orange City Area Home Health and Hospice or to a charity of your choice.

Darlene Mae Ahrendsen, the daughter of Peter and Vesta (Lehrman) Ahrendsen, was born at Sacred Heart Hospital in Le Mars, Iowa. She attended country school at Fredonia #1 in Plymouth County through the 7th grade. She attended high school in Le Mars and graduated from Le Mars Central High School in 1955. In September of that year, she entered Methodist School of Nursing in Sioux City. She graduated with the class of 1958. Following graduation, she moved to Orange City, IA, and was employed by Grossman Hospital as a graduate nurse. Upon passing the Iowa State Nursing Test in September of 1958, she became a Registered Nurse.

On November 24, 1958, she married her high school sweetheart, Ralph J. Feller at St. Catherine Church in Oyens. In April of 1959, they moved to Denver, CO, and in June of 1959, she was employed by Mercy Hospital in Denver. In the Fall of 1960, she resigned from Mercy Hospital and became employed at the National Jewish Hospital in Denver as the Head Nurse of a floor of teenage patients. She worked there until July of 1964. They moved to Garden Grove, CA, as Ralph had an offer to serve on the fire department. She did not work as a nurse during their time in California. She enjoyed being a mother and homemaker. In February of 1969, they moved back to Iowa to her parent’s farm, as her father had died. That was the start of their farming career. In June of 1969, she went to work for Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars. She worked there for 30 years.

To balance the occupations of mother, homemaker, farming, and nursing, they all kept her busy. Taking children on 4-H trips, swimming lessons and baseball games, doing field work, discing, combining, and taking care of the farrowing house and normal woman’s work to name most of the things done. In June of 1999, retirement finally came. With a new house and farm site due to the new four lane highway 60, landscaping took up most of the time, much to her enjoyment. The farm became a grain farm only, field work that needed to be done became modernized and easier to do.

Darlene received the FFA Honorary Chapter Farmer Award and the Floyd Valley Hospital Employee of the Month award. She and Ralph enjoyed taking vacations to visit their daughter and family in Dallas, TX, Portland, OR, and Timnath, CO. They did tours to Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean cruises. They enjoyed their trips to South America and to the Bahamas. They did many family trips, including to every state west of the Mississippi and some eastern states.

Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Ralph of Le Mars; a son: Regan Feller of Le Mars; a daughter: Renda (Marty) Jost of Timnath, CO; a daughter: Renee (Darrin) Minar of Le Mars; grandchildren: Mitchell, Ben, Rebecca, Alex, Abbey, Kenzie, and Ethan Feller, Trevor and Heather Jost, Michael Miller, Brittany Hansen, Krysta Fischer, Samantha Timmins, Dustin Miller, Rachael Morris, and Sydney Minar; her chosen grandchildren, Ashley Kayser and Nick Minar; 16 great grandchildren; 5 step great grandchildren; one sister, Bonita (Phil) McLarnan of Humbolt, IA; step sister, Martha “Katie” Steffen of MI; sisters-in-law: Mary Jo George of CO, Joan Feller of SD, and Joan Feller of CO; brothers-in-law: Karl (Marlis) Feller of CO, Paul (Donna) Feller of CO, Denny Feller of SD, Rick (Bev) Feller of OK, and William Cohrs of OK; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Vesta Ahrendson; her stepfather, Ervin Criswell; stepsister, Carla Scales; stepbrother, Dennis Criswell; parents-in-law, Peter and Dorothy Feller; sisters-in-law, Kathy Cohrs and Dorie Kolker; and brothers-in-law, Larry Feller, Jay Feller, Pete Feller, and Tom Feller.

Source: Rexwinkel Funeral Home online obituary.