Darlene A. Braun

Obituary

Darlene Ann Weber was born on August 22, 1936, in Biscay, MN. She was the daughter of Jacob and Anna (Ehoff) Weber. Darlene was baptized as an infant and later confirmed in her faith as a youth at First Lutheran Church, Glencoe.  She was a graduate of the Steven’s Seminary Glencoe High School Class of 1954.

On August 20, 1955, Darlene married Lavern “Boyce” Witthus at First Lutheran Church in Glencoe. This marriage was blessed with one daughter, Debra.  Boyce passed away on March 31, 1957.

On March 11, 1959, Darlene married Donald Thole in St. Paul, MN. This marriage was blessed with one son, Dennis, and three daughters, Denise, Doris, and Dorine, all born in St Paul, MN. They divorced in 1970.

Darlene was also blessed with her youngest daughter, Shelly (father – Glen Frauendienst), who was born in Glencoe. 

On April 25, 1981, Darlene married Stanley Braun at First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Glencoe. He passed away September 14, 2006.

Darlene began her working career as a telephone operator.  She had a love and talent for cooking, which gained her employment in the cafeteria at Glencoe Middle School, North Star/Star Café, Breyer’s, Lindy’s, Country Kitchen, and Bumps Restaurant. She was a hard worker and known to hold several jobs at the same time to support her family with jobs also at Green Giant, the Q Truck Stop and SA Gas Station.  She finished her working years in the dietary department at Glencoe Hospital where she finally retired.

She enjoyed attending church, listening to services on the radio, serving luncheons at the church and is an honorary member of LWML.  She had great pride in our Country and was a member of the VFW Auxiliary.

Darlene’s love for cooking and baking led to spoiling many with her delectable delights.  She read, collected and tried new recipes constantly and many reaped the benefits! If it wasn’t delicious BBQs for her kid’s “parties” back in the day, it was treats for “coffee” to catch up on the latest gossip with friends and neighbors. She provided many dozens of cookies, bars, and desserts for just about any event or holiday gathering.  In her younger years, she baked and decorated many cakes for special events.  Her specialty became “the best pies ever” with the flakiest homemade crust which she made for several restaurants in town. One never left her house hungry! 

Darlene also loved her family pets and spoiled them with special treats too!  She never passed up a good garage sale. She was known for her collection of Home Interiors décor and for sitting at the kitchen table, listening to country music/announcements on KDUZ radio, clipping coupons, doing word search puzzles, reading, or journaling about things going on with family and friends.  Being an avid classic country music fan, it was highly likely that when her favorite Kitty Wells songs came on, the volume went up. Having a great sense of humor, she loved a good joke and was generally up for shenanigans with many harmless pranks. Visiting was an art to her, it was not uncommon for her to spend hours on the porch swing, sharing stories and laughter with neighbors, family and friends.

Family was everything to Darlene! With much love and pride for her huge family, from her own children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to her many nieces and nephews, each was treated as her own!  She also loved her siblings and their spouses dearly, spending time on their farms or traveling to the Cities to visit her sister, Sharon.  She was known to go visiting aunts, uncles and cousins either in the Twin Cities or the Little Falls area. The annual family reunion was a must for her to keep in touch with her extended family.

Darlene was called home to be with our Lord and Savior after years of continuous memory loss.
Blessed be the many memories of Darlene’s life. 

Darlene is survived by her:
Children, Deb Christensen (Gary Zencius), Dennis (Kelly) Thole, Denise Ballman (Kemo Anderson), Doris (Steve) Kroyer, Dorine (Dan) Vanderlinde, and Shelly (Treg) Warnsholz;
Grandchildren, Jesse Christensen (Christi Kennedy), Teri Christensen, Jonathan Thole, Melissa (Charlie) Davidson, Mitchell (Tina) Ballman, Grayson (Trisha) Kroyer, Blake (Heather) Kroyer;
Great-Grandchildren, Britta and Isaac Christensen, Elise and Cullen Davidson, Chester and Pearl Ballman, Crosby Kroyer, Brynlee Kroyer;
Sisters, Gloria Koerschen, Sharon (Marvin) Buckentin;
Brother, Donald (Madrienne) Weber;
Sister-in-Law, Bev Weber;
Many nieces and nephews, and many other relatives and friends.

Darlene is preceded in death by her Parents, Jacob and Anna Weber, Brothers/Sisters-in-Law, Elden (Wilma) and (Susan)Weber, LeRoy Weber; Sister/Brother-in-Law, Deloris (Elmer) Ziegler; Brother-in-Law, Gerald Koerschen; Husbands, Lavern Witthus, Donald Thole, and Stanley Braun.