DARLENE FRANCES MINNICK
DARLENE FRANCES MINNICK
Darlene Frances (Black) Minnick was born February 26, 1930 to Frank and Harriet (Lane) Black in Webb, Iowa. Welcoming Darlene to the family were her sisters Kay, Maxine and Joyce. The girls were later joined by sister Betty.
Darlene attended school through the 8th grade. After finishing 8th grade, Darlene began her long life of working. She worked several jobs in her lifetime. Some of her many jobs included working at Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines; a glove factory in Des Moines; and O’Bryan Brothers in Leon. She also owned and operated a bar in Des Moines and D and F Bar and Grill in Kellerton.
Darlene met Edward Emmel Minnick and they were married on June 23, 1956 in Des Moines. To this union, one son, Edward Alan, was born. While always having a residence in Kellerton, Darlene and her husband Ed would travel in the summer due to Ed’s construction job. Ed and Darlene lived a short time in Illinois and Des Moines but always called Kellerton home. Darlene remained a resident of Kellerton until moving to Mount Ayr in 2007. Ed and Darlene introduced their son Ed to the outdoor world spending many weekends camping, hunting and fishing.
Ed passed away March 31, 1988. Darlene still continued to fish and spend time working on jig saw puzzles, word puzzles, playing cards with family and also enjoyed going every Tuesday night to the American Legion in Mount Ayr to play Bingo. Sometimes she would get a car load of Bingo players and head to other towns to play the game as well. Darlene also enjoyed doing dancing whenever there was a dance close by.
On February 26, 1992, when Darlene turned 62, she retired, leaving O’Bryan Brothers after 25 years of service. Three days later on February 29, Darlene married Forest Overholser. They made their home in Kellerton and ran D & F Bar & Grill in Kellerton for a few years. Forest passed away June 2005.
Darlene enjoyed attending her granddaughters sporting events. She loved to go watch Kylee and Nici play volleyball, basketball and softball. Recently she started attending her great-grandsons football, wrestling and baseball games.
Darlene decided to move to Mount Ayr in June 2007 and on October 1, 2012; Darlene made her final move to the Mount Ayr Health Care Center where she passed away on January 9, 2016. While at the Health Care Center, Darlene felt it was her responsibility to take care of the people in need there. The nurses had to remind Darlene they were there to do that work and she was there to let them help her. Darlene still loved her Bingo and informed Ed several times not to come visit her on Bingo days.
Darlene was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Ed Minnick and Forest Overholser; sister Maxine Embry; sister and brother-in-law Kay and Melvin Brown; sister and brother-in-law Joyce and Dick Seals; and sister and brother-in-law Betty and Jerry Dissinger; mother-in-law Faresta Minnick; and sister-in-law Naomi Been.
Those left to cherish the memories of Darlene are her son Ed Minnick and wife Colleen of Kellerton; her granddaughters Kylee Fleharty and husband Cory of Clearfield and Nici Minnick of Kellerton; her great-grandsons Payton and Preston Fleharty; great-granddaughter Paisley Fleharty, all of Clearfield; brothers-in-law Jess Embry and Mike Been; several nieces, nephews, and friends.
Services were held at the Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr, IA on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. with Bill Armstrong officiating. Casketbearers were Terry Munyon, Jerry Seals, Steve Cross, Tom Embry, Tom Giles and Danny Webb. Honorary pallbearers were Kylee Fleharty, Cory Fleharty, Nici Minnick, Payton Fleharty, Preston Fleharty and Paisley Fleharty. Burial is in the Maple Row Cemetery in Kellerton, IA.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for the Activities Fund at the Mount Ayr Health Care Center.
