With overwhelming sadness mixed with relief, Darlene’s family wish to advise her long battle with cancer ended approximately 8:20 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012, in the Radville Hospital with her family by her side. She had exceptionally compassionate palliative care since Saturday night October 27. She will be hugely missed by her family as well as an extraordinary number of friends. Darlene was predeceased by her husband Clifton, her father and mother Harold and Mae Ness, her twin brother Delmar, her brothers Clarence and Howard, her sister-in-law Emilie Ness and one brother who died in infancy; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ole and Ethel Lund; her brothers-in-law Obert Lund and Jim Franklin; as well as Norman Petersen a long-time friend of Clifton and Darlene’s.

Darlene is survived by three children: Cindy (Blaine) Lohse; Louanne (Rod) Richards; Dean (Val Pickering) Lund; eight grand children: Carey (Kenda) Lohse; Tyrell (Chrissy Mack) Lohse; Michelle (Devon Julian) Woitas; Spencer and Chad Woitas; Colton, Brooklyn, Jasmine Lund; four great-grand children: Raina and Rhett Lohse; Kadence Lohse and Dylan Mack; very special friend Ervin Field; one brother and sister-in-law, Earl and Clara Ness; sister-in-law, Inez Lund, and  sister-in-law, Vernice Franklin (who was more like a sister) and numerous nieces and nephews.

Muriel Darlene Ness and her twin brother Murnal Delmar were born April 3, 1937 in Radville, SK at the Hilda Beckwell Midwife residence. She was baptized July 4, 1937. She attended Tree Lake School through to grade 10, taking grade 9 and 10 by correspondence, and grades 11 and 12 in Lake Alma.  She also took a commercial office course in Estevan.  In July 1955, she was employed at SaskPower in Regina. She married Clifton Lund August 11, 1956 in Lake Alma.  They soon relocated from Regina to Weyburn where she continued to work for SaskPower at the Weyburn Airport Training Center.  Initially they lived at the Weyburn Airport, and then in a second-floor suite in downtown Weyburn before purchasing a home on South Hill in Weyburn. On Oct 31, 1958 Cindy was born in Weyburn. Darlene returned to work shortly thereafter and continued at SaskPower for four and a half years. They then purchased Tom Mortensen’s farm south of Lake Alma. Cliff always said “if I hadn’t taken her to the farm, she would probably be running SaskPower by now”.  Louanne was born November 21, 1964 and Dean was born March 21, 1967, both in Weyburn. (Darlene referred to Dean as her Centennial Project). During this time Darlene worked in the bar in Lake Alma, drove school bus, was a kindergarten teacher’s aide and Village Clerk (sometimes all in the same day).  At the age of 46, she took a two-year local government correspondence course; then she spent several years training at the RM office until she became the RM Administrator in 1990. Darlene believed in community involvement. She served as a School Board Trustee from 1968-1981; ten of those years she held the Chairman position. She was on the Golden Heritage Board, she belonged to the Royal Purple holding various Executive positions; and she was actively involved in organizing and publishing the original Settlers of the Hills history book. She typed, edited and published a biography for her Aunt Inga McCoy “As I Remember”. She enjoyed curling, the Red Hatters, and the Tim Horton Coffee Circle with Ervin Field.

A Service of Remembrance for Darlene was held on Saturday, November 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. from Zion Lutheran Church, Weyburn, SK with Pastor Martin Olson, officiating. A Private Family Interment was held at Saron Cemetery, Lake Alma, SK.

For family and friends so wishing donations in memory of Darlene may be made to the Radville & District Health Centre Foundation, Box 310, Radville, SK S0C 2G0

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