Darlene B. (Waldron) Dornath

Darlene Bernice (Waldron) Dornath, 90, of Thor, IA, passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 11, 2020.  She was born on July 3, 1930, in Fort Dodge, IA, to L.W. and Hattie (Larson) Waldron.  She moved to Bozeman, MT, with her parents in 1944 and graduated from high school there. Darlene went on to earn a B.A. in elementary education from Pacific Lutheran College in Tacoma, WA, in 1952, and taught elementary school in both Bozeman, MT, and Seattle, WA. She married Meinhard Dornath on November 20, 1957, and moved to Iowa where they operated her family’s century farm and began a family. She and Meinhard were two of the original sales team for the O’s Gold Seed Corn Co., affording them several opportunities to travel abroad. Following Meinhard’s death in 1972, Darlene continued to travel with family and friends, eventually visiting all 50 of the United States, 9 provinces and territories of Canada, Europe, Africa, and South America. One of her greatest joys was tending to her many flowers.

Darlene was baptized, raised, and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. During the late 1950’s, she served as the National Recording Secretary for the Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation. She loved her church and was a member of Ullensvang Lutheran Church, Thor, IA, most of her adult life. At Ullensvang she served as both the first female council member and the first female president of the congregation. She also spent many years as the junior and senior choir directors. Prior to her bout with Cancer in the 1980’s, Darlene had a lovely singing voice and sang in the church choir, for many weddings and funerals, and performed with the A Sharp Choral and Paddle Wheel Player’s theater group in Eagle Grove. However, she will be remembered best for the 30 plus years that she served as organist for Trinity Lutheran and Ullensvang Lutheran Churches.

She is survived by her three children: Michael Dornath, Eagle Grove, IA, Michelle (Jeruld) Dornath-Mohr, Bozeman, MT/Grant, AL, Katherine Dornath Cook, Eagle Grove, IA; seven grandchildren: Rebekah Mohr, Bozeman, MT, Naomi Mohr, Huntsville, AL, Hannah Mohr, Los Alamos, NM, Tabitha Mohr, Bozeman, MT, Seth Cook, Badger, IA, Thaddaeus Cook, Eagle Grove, IA, and Anna Cook, Eagle Grove, IA; great-granddaughter Zoe Bengston, Bozeman, MT; her faithful dog Treble and cat Snoopy; cousin Naomi Johnston, Livingston, MT; nephew Jerrold (Alice) Jimmerson, Manson, IA; many nieces and nephews on the Dornath side, and brother-in-law and sister-in-law Elven (Jody) Dornath, Humboldt, IA; She also leaves behind many friends, especially her beloved coffee ladies in Humboldt. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, granddaughter Clair Cook, half-sister and brother-in-law Dorothy and Noress Larson, father and mother-in-law John and Meinhardine (Zimmerman) Dornath, brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-laws Minnie (Jack) Knudtson, Vivian (Glen) Wergland, Florence (Harold) Belverud.

Visitation will be held at Foust Funeral Home in Eagle Grove on Thursday, December 17, 2020, from 5:00-7:00 PM. A private funeral service will be held at Foust Funeral Home on Friday, December 18, 2020 at 2:00 PM, with burial following the service at Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove, IA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to the discretion of the family or:
St. Labre Indian School, PO Box 216, Ashland, MT 59003-9989
Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601
American Cancer Society, PO Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123

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