Darlene Elouise Andersen
February 6, 1944 — March 22, 2017
Darlene Elouise Andersen was born on February 6, 1944, on a farm by Glendon in Guthrie County to Harold and Frances Williams Nelson. As a child, her family also lived in Shelby, Harlan, Wiota and Avoca. She graduated from AvoHa High School with the Class of 1962. Following graduation she worked for Swede Pattee at Pattee Insurance.
On March 2, 1963, she was united in marriage to Marlin Andersen in Avoca, Iowa. To this union, three daughters were born, Denise, Amy, and Julie, known to family as “The Girls”. They lived mostly in the Avoca- Shelby area, other than a year that they lived in Cheyenne, WY. In 1979, they built their current home.
Darlene and Marlin enjoyed taking trips alone, with family and with their many friends over the years. They had just returned from a trip to Laughlin, NV, that they planned as a break between her last two surgeries. Darlene enjoyed following her daughters and grandchildren’s school events over the years. While the girls were in school, she very rarely missed an event. She loved to play cards. She looked forward to her daily online Bridge and the various card clubs she belonged to over the years. From an early age to the present she had a love for her horses and dogs.
She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. For many years she was in charge of the aebleskiver fryers. She took pride in teaching the technique with the hope that future generations will continue to pass it on. Darlene was also the Secretary of the Pottawattamie County Fair Board for many years. She had several different jobs over the years but her biggest accomplishment was running Andersen Grain and Trucking from beginning to end. She had great business sense and was able to make a two person operation into a successful corporation all on her own.
She overcame many health battles in her life, beginning with polio in 1951. She lived her life with silent strength and perseverance over the years, having multiple surgeries on her neck, back, heart and lastly an aneurysm repaired. Darlene passed away on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, due to complications of this surgery. She attained the age of seventy-three years, one month and sixteen days. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her in-laws Ernest and Lillian Andersen, brother David Nelson, sister-in-law Eleanor Quinn, brothers-in-law Mike Quinn, Irwin Andersen and Ron Palmer.
Darlene is survived by her husband of 54 years, Marlin Andersen of Avoca, IA; daughters: Denise and her husband Jim Young of Oakland, IA; Amy and her husband Terry Gleaves of Oakland, IA; Julie and her husband Mark Aust of McFarland, WI; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Cody and his fiancé Roxi of Sidney, IA; Tyler and his wife Jacqueline and their son Andersen of Council Bluffs, IA; Mikayla and husband Angelo and their two daughters Autumn and Andrea; Jordan and Wesley of Oakland, IA; Evan and his wife Kassie of Carson, IA; Alex of Storm Lake, IA; Grace of Oakland, IA; Melanie, Ryan, Ashley and Jacob of McFarland, WI; sisters LaVere Andersen of Avoca; Louene Palmer of Clara City, MN; sisters-in-law Margie Nelson of Dexter, MN; Laura Ann (Charlie) Allen and brother-in-law Robert (Linda) Andersen of Avoca; many nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.
On March 2, 1963, she was united in marriage to Marlin Andersen in Avoca, Iowa. To this union, three daughters were born, Denise, Amy, and Julie, known to family as “The Girls”. They lived mostly in the Avoca- Shelby area, other than a year that they lived in Cheyenne, WY. In 1979, they built their current home.
Darlene and Marlin enjoyed taking trips alone, with family and with their many friends over the years. They had just returned from a trip to Laughlin, NV, that they planned as a break between her last two surgeries. Darlene enjoyed following her daughters and grandchildren’s school events over the years. While the girls were in school, she very rarely missed an event. She loved to play cards. She looked forward to her daily online Bridge and the various card clubs she belonged to over the years. From an early age to the present she had a love for her horses and dogs.
She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. For many years she was in charge of the aebleskiver fryers. She took pride in teaching the technique with the hope that future generations will continue to pass it on. Darlene was also the Secretary of the Pottawattamie County Fair Board for many years. She had several different jobs over the years but her biggest accomplishment was running Andersen Grain and Trucking from beginning to end. She had great business sense and was able to make a two person operation into a successful corporation all on her own.
She overcame many health battles in her life, beginning with polio in 1951. She lived her life with silent strength and perseverance over the years, having multiple surgeries on her neck, back, heart and lastly an aneurysm repaired. Darlene passed away on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, due to complications of this surgery. She attained the age of seventy-three years, one month and sixteen days. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her in-laws Ernest and Lillian Andersen, brother David Nelson, sister-in-law Eleanor Quinn, brothers-in-law Mike Quinn, Irwin Andersen and Ron Palmer.
Darlene is survived by her husband of 54 years, Marlin Andersen of Avoca, IA; daughters: Denise and her husband Jim Young of Oakland, IA; Amy and her husband Terry Gleaves of Oakland, IA; Julie and her husband Mark Aust of McFarland, WI; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Cody and his fiancé Roxi of Sidney, IA; Tyler and his wife Jacqueline and their son Andersen of Council Bluffs, IA; Mikayla and husband Angelo and their two daughters Autumn and Andrea; Jordan and Wesley of Oakland, IA; Evan and his wife Kassie of Carson, IA; Alex of Storm Lake, IA; Grace of Oakland, IA; Melanie, Ryan, Ashley and Jacob of McFarland, WI; sisters LaVere Andersen of Avoca; Louene Palmer of Clara City, MN; sisters-in-law Margie Nelson of Dexter, MN; Laura Ann (Charlie) Allen and brother-in-law Robert (Linda) Andersen of Avoca; many nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.
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