Darlene Lucille Nordquist

Darlene Lucille Nordquist went home to be with Jesus on Aug. 30, 2024. She had just celebrated her 80th birthday the month before. She died peacefully with her family at her bedside.

Darlene was born on July 5, 1944, to Werner and Viola Reetz in York, Nebraska. After high school, Darlene worked at Concordia Lutheran College in Staplehurst, Nebraska. After growing up on the farm, she set her sights to city living and moved to Denver in 1970 where she worked at a downtown realtor as secretary to the president. It was there in Denver that she met Jim. They were married on Jan. 9, 1971, in Staplehurst, Nebraska, where the high that day was a balmy 8-degrees below zero.

Returning to Denver, where Jim had one year of college left, they had their first child Eric who was born in October 1973. Just a little over a year after Eric was born, they moved to Oregon, where Jim had taken a job at the aluminum plant in The Dalles. They had intended on only staying in Oregon for a few years, but plans changed, and they never returned to the Midwest. Bryan was born in September 1976 in The Dalles. They later adopted their daughter Julie from South Korea in April 1982, when she was 20 months old. Darlene was mostly a homemaker until the kids were older and in 1988, she began a career working for the Wasco County District Attorney as a secretary for almost 15 years. She retired from the DA’s office in 2003 and supported her husband and sons in their farming efforts. Darlene was also an active volunteer at their church with the Lutheran Women’s Ministry League, and VBS programs. In summertime, she also tended to her beautiful yard and decent sized garden where you would always find plenty of corn growing, a tribute to her Nebraskan heritage. As 2020 approached, Darlene suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, from which she passed on Aug. 30, 2024. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother to all her family. The memorial service will be held on Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in The Dalles, where she had been an active church member for nearly 50 years.

Darlene was preceded in death by her parents Werner and Viola Reetz, and brother Elroy Reetz. She is survived by her husband Jim; son Eric and his wife Emily; son Bryan and his wife Ami; and daughter Julie. Her grandchildren are Rylie, Caden and Owen Nordquist; Justus, Luci, Treyton and Ella Nordquist; and Madeline Brown. All three families live within a few miles of each other in Wamic and are such a blessing. Darlene leaves a brother and his wife, Wayne and Mary Reetz; sister Janice Reetz; sister-in-law Sue Reetz and many nieces and nephews back home in Nebraska.