Darlene Graves

Friday, March 4, 2022 12:41 am

Darlene Mae (Stendel) Graves, beloved mother and grandmother, slipped quietly away in her sleep Friday evening on Feb. 25, 2022 at Wellington Place. She was 88 years old.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 12, 2022, at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah with Rev. Hyeunmee Kang officiating. Burial will be in Phelps Cemetery in Decorah later in the spring. Visitation will be after 10 a.m. Saturday, one hour before services, at Fjelstul Funeral Home.

Darlene was born in Castalia, Iowa to Hyless and Iva May (Burns) Stendel on Sept. 14, 1933. She attended country schools and graduated from Ossian High School. Upon graduation, she moved to the “big town” of Decorah and worked at the Northwestern Telephone Company as a telephone operator. At the time, this was considered a proper occupation for a young lady. There she made many life-long friends. On May 19, 1956, she married Spencer Graves at the United Brethren Church in Castalia. To this union two children were born, a son Randall and a daughter Nancy.

Darlene and Spencer moved to the family farm after marriage. Darlene became a farmer’s wife and worked alongside her husband. The farming life consisted of milking cows, raising pigs and at times chickens, along with growing corn, hay and oats and having a vegetable garden. She loved the farm dogs that they had over the years. They remained on the farm until health issues caused them to move to Wellington Place. During her lifetime, Darlene was a great people person which made her a great volunteer. She was a life-long member of the First United Methodist Church in Decorah where many friendships were also made. She was active in her circle and was also a past president of the church’s United Methodist Women.  She was on church committees.  Much of her volunteer time at church involved working in the kitchen.  She assisted at funerals, helped prepare food for the church’s Nordic Fest lunch, served coffee Sunday mornings after service and later volunteered with the community Thanksgiving meal. She peeled many potatoes for those events. She volunteered at nursing homes playing bingo. She assisted with the church bazaars. The list goes on.

Outside of church, she volunteered at The Depot and became involved at its inception. She sorted and priced donations and was a cashier. As the Depot grew and needed more space, not only did the store move, but so did Darlene where she continued to volunteer until her health declined.She was a great reader and user of the Decorah Public Library. She loved reading historical fiction and westerns. In later years, she volunteered at children’s reading time and was “Grandma Darlene” to many children who attended.

Darlene had many wonderful friends in her life and was a good friend to many. She was devoted to her faith and church. Above all, she was a good wife and a loving mother and grandmother.

Darlene is survived by her son Randall Graves of Decorah, and daughter Nancy (Jeffrey) Cronin, granddaughter Nora and grandson Phillip, all of Minneapolis.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Earl and her husband Spencer on April 3, 2012.

Many thanks to Wellington Place for the care of Darlene over the years. There is no way to measure the patience and kindness all of you gave her.  Lastly many thanks to the pastors and congregation of our church over all the years Darlene was a member. Her church family was very important to her. Memorials may be designated to Wellington Place or the First United Methodist Church in Decorah.