Darlene Miller

Darlene Mae Jensen Miller was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. She died Sunday, August 15 in Colby, Kansas at the age of 84.

She was born to Shirley and Henry Jensen on April 2, 1937. During high school in North Platte, Nebraska, Darlene met Donald K. Miller on a double date. They were married shortly thereafter upon her high school graduation; they recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. Together, they had two children Jeffrey and Mark.

Darlene’s primary loves were her family and friends (and maybe her crossword puzzles) but she also valued her professional career. Whether playing bridge with her girlfriends or balancing books behind the scenes, Darlene had an affinity for numbers. She began bookkeeping unexpectedly when a jewelry store owner showed up at her front door in Denver with a stack of ledgers in hand saying hopefully “I heard you could keep books...” That propitious encounter began a career in bookkeeping that eventually led Darlene to earn an AA degree in municipal accounting and working for Paul Steel, CPA.

She raised her boys alongside her two cherished sisters and their eleven children. Weekends at the lake and family holiday dinners with their “Daddy” hold strong, bonding and loving memories for them all.

Darlene loved life and adored her husband, her sons and their families. Her five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren delighted her with their antics, love, ambitions and quick-wit. Darlene’s own good humor, sage advice and generous loving nature endeared her to her family as well.

Darlene relished traveling internationally with Don, her sisters and her friends. She also enjoyed traveling with Don behind the wheel of their RV and their beloved dachshund perched between them. When traveling, Darlene appreciated seeing as much as possible as quickly as possible. But when it came to the people she met while traveling, Darlene’s pace relaxed; she was consistently friendly and welcoming making new friends easily. Darlene and Don also had life-long friends who would enjoy regular Saturday afternoon hamburger and beer dates. She kept in touch with friends who moved away from Colby and deeply treasured their friendship and their history together.

Darlene was a humble, godly woman who loved the Lord; she embodied faithfulness, compassion, generosity and forgiveness. Her unwavering faith gave her strength, encouragement and hope. She attended Trinity Lutheran church where her sons joined her on Sunday mornings as they grew up. She volunteered as the treasurer at Trinity Lutheran for many years.

Though her own memory faded with dementia, Darlene’s kind, gentle and loving disposition did not fade as her attentive family and loving caregivers at Prairie Senior Center would attest.

Darlene was preceded in death by her mother Shirley Jensen Lunkwitz, her father Henry Jensen, and her sisters Beverly Saathoff and Bonnie Baade. She is survived by her beloved husband Don Miller; son Jeffrey Miller and wife Diana; son Mark Miller and wife Darcie; grandchildren, Holly Haines and husband Burk, Aaron Miller and wife Sarah, Nate Miller and wife Nicole, Luke Miller, and Ellie Miller as well as her great-grandchildren: Jonathan Miller, Matthew Miller, Brewer Haines, Geneva Haines; her brother Raymond Lunkwitz; and numerous treasured nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, August 21 at 1:30 p.m. at Baalmann Mortuary, in Colby, KS. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider a donation in Darlene’s honor to Trinity Lutheran Church, Colby, KS, sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com