West Kjos Funeral Home

Darlene May Owens was born May 17, 1932 to Hugo and Mabel (Schostag-Berndt) Roemhildt in Mankato, MN. She grew up on a farm outside of Elysian, MN and attended first through eighth grade in a one room Lutheran School (St. Peter’s Lutheran Church). She graduated from Waterville High School in May of 1950 as the Salutatorian. Darlene attended college for one year in Winfield KS and then transferred to Concordia College in St. Paul, MN for one more year, graduating with an elementary teaching degree. After teaching for two years in Mayer, MN she then went to work for Northwest Airlines corporate offices in St. Paul, MN as a secretary for three years. Darlene then drove to Long Beach, CA to stay with her sister Julaine Jacobson and started working for Coca-Cola Company as a secretary. When sister Julaine and husband Denny were transferred to Oregon, Darlene moved into a house which was across the street from the love of her life Ron Owens. Ron would mow the grass and Darlene would bring him lemonade. Darlene and Ron were united in marriage on August 20, 1958. They had four children – Carole (1959), Kathy (1960), Doug (1961) and Karin (1962). Darlene and Ron lived in many places during the years starting in Bellflower, CA; and then West Covina, CA; Astoria, OR; Beaverton, OR; Winlock, WA; Sebeka, MN; New York Mills, MN; Detroit Lakes, MN; and finally Audubon, MN.Darlene had many occupations during her life time which included teacher, secretary, homemaker, farmer (which included milking a cow by hand and then 20 cows using a milk machine), resort owner, AVON representative (35 years), mom grandma, great grandma, and great great grandma. Darlene was loving, kind, caring, generous and always had a smile for everyone. She loved to play all sorts of board games and card games (scrabble was one of her favorites), do crossword puzzles, sing in the church choir, garden and can, socialize (a lot), party and dance (with her red shoes on), and travel. She was always asking “Where are we... (New Prague Times)