Viola Darlene Lohman, 90, of Marion, was born in Milton, Iowa, on December 26, 1930, to Glen Carroll and Beulah Marie (White) Abernathy and passed peacefully from this life just before dawn on Sunday, June 13, 2021, at the home of her daughter Kathy, under Hospice care.

Internment will take place on June 16, at the Lafayette Cemetery near Alburnett, during a private family ceremony, per Darlene's request. A Celebration of Life for family and friends will follow at the Marion American Legion, located at 625 31 ^st Street, from noon to 2:00 p.m.

Darlene married James Lohman in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on December 25, 1948. (The ceremony was conducted in the same church where Orville and Wilbur Wright's father, Bishop Milton Wright, was the overseer. The church has since been torn down).

Four children were born to this union: Chris (Cindy) Lohman, Michele (Kieth) Fansa, Kathy Steele, DJ (Tim) Kauffman; 13 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.

Darlene also has a half-brother John Abernathy, a sister-in-law Wanda Abernathy, and several nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, one granddaughter Emily Brown, a sister Leona Huebner, two brothers Wayne and Richard Abernathy,  a brother-in-law Douglas Huebner and a sister-in-law Dorothy Smith.

As a child, Darlene never went without a meal, even while the Great Depression ravaged American's pocketbooks and stomachs across the heartland because both her paternal and maternal grandparents were farmers. Only the kids in town went hungry, she said.

Darlene began living with both sets of grandparents, alternating between them in winter and summer, when she was only six years of age, as her mother became bedridden and passed away three years later. Her paternal grandparents later moved to Stockport after the Depression subsided.

Throughout her life, Darlene loved music (mostly country) and had a great singing voice. She was also amazing on the piano, with only a few lessons as a young girl. Her talent was even written about in the town's local newspaper after winning M. E. Ladies Aid society's first prize for her outstanding duet vocal performance.

In her later years, Darlene said while looking at her graduation class picture of 15 students, "I didn't know there were so many."

After graduating high school in Stockport, Darlene moved to Cedar Rapids where she finally had running water in her home for the first time. She also got her first paying job as a maid and nanny for Dr. and Mrs. Cobb. She later worked at Square D for a few years and later at Collins Radio/Rockwell from where she retired after 25 years.

Darlene loved her family, friends, dancing, baking, boating and pets.

In lieu of flowers, say a prayer for your loved ones.