Darlene Thompson

Darlene Ila Thompson, age 88, died Saturday, November 14, 2015 at Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Due to living with Parkinson’s disease and Dementia for a number of years, a celebration of her life was combined in the funeral service for her husband of 70 years, this past May. Private burial was in Alden Cemetery, Alden, Iowa.

Darlene was born March 16, 1927 to Carlos and Elva (Whipple) Montgomery in Iowa Falls, Iowa. She met the love of her life, Lyle Allen Thompson of Ellsworth, Iowa, while in high school. They were married on December 24, 1944.

In the early marriage years, Darlene was a typical farm wife, assisting Lyle with outdoor farm needs and tending to in-home duties, as well.

Mid-life, she liked working outside of the home at local area businesses; i.e., Morton’s in Webster City, Bournes in Ames and as a dental assistant for Dr. George Shea in Webster City, Iowa.

Post-retirement, Darlene and Lyle worked half of the year at Boondocks USA Truck Stop in Blairsburg, Iowa. There, as in most things in life, they shared the same schedule, helped one another with job tasks and enjoyed the company of co-workers and customers. She and Lyle were always so grateful to Bob & Mim Welch – not only were they good employers, they were also good friends.

The remaining six months of the year, Darlene and Lyle lived at Craig’s RV Park in Florida where they became involved in many couples club activities, traveled with friends and enjoyed the simple and fun life of total retirement.

Darlene was an avid reader and multi-gifted “crafts-queen.” Over the years she has shared her talents of sewing, painting (toll, canvas, watercolors and oil) and ceramics. Having her own kiln, there was one year when she made 12 different Nativity Sets as Christmas gifts for family and friends – each one varied in size and style.

She was a loving daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother (Nana), good friend and cheerleader to all she met. She never failed to find humor in life.

Darlene is survived by a son, Randy (Jean) Thompson of Iowa Falls and a daughter, Tammy (Dean) Oskvig of Stilwell, KS. She leaves 4 grandchildren: Tracy (Scot) Hill, Prairie Village, KS; Jaime (Doug) Keninger, Iowa Falls, IA; Jayson Thompson, Waterloo, IA and Lyle Thompson III (Tut), Bartow, FL. Her 5 great-grandchildren, Owen, Eva, Emmett and Nora Hill, Prairie Village, KS and Logan Thompson, Bartow, FL will remember Nana as their “playmate” when they were little and their biggest fan as they grew older.

Also surviving is one brother, Dallas Montgomery (Louise) of Iowa Falls and one sister-in-law, Arlene Montgomery of Steamboat Rock, Iowa. Darlene loved, and was loved, by her many nieces and nephews, as well.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle A. Thompson, a son, Lyle E. Thompson (Jr.) and two brothers, Duane Montgomery and Darrell Montgomery.