Darlene was born on March 4, 1921 in rural Flanagan a daughter of Cliff and Mina Von Behren Kalkwarf. She married Carl W. Handley on January 10, 1942 in Minonk. He passed away on May 7, 1983.

Survivors include her son, Dennis Handley of Chenoa, IL; one daughter, Carole Ann (Dennis) Darland of Tujunga, CA; two sisters, Norma Turner of Minonk; Marilyn(John) Asper of Flanagan; sister-in.law, Mary Janssen of Minonk; brother-in-law Cliff Bachman of Cornell, IL.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one son, Loren Carl Handley, her mother & father-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law.

She and her husband ran Your Way Laundry in Minonk for a few years. Later when her husband became captain at the Pontiac Correctional Center, they moved to Pontiac. She was a housekeeper in Pontiac.

She was a member of First Baptist Church in Minonk, where she volunteered for projects in the past years. She also delivered meals on wheels in Minonk.

She attended Minonk schools where she graduated.

Her interests included flower gardening, plants, bird watching baking and cooking, needlework which hung in her room at the home and she enjoyed music and playing cards with her sisters and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00a.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at Ruestman-Harris Funeral Home in Minonk. The Rev. Richard Olson will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home on Tuesday. Burial will be in Minonk Township Cemetery.

As her health declined she moved to an apartment at Good Samaritan Home assisted living. In November of 2004 she entered the Good Samaritan Home as a resident, where she lived until the present time. Her family would like to express their deep appreciation to all the nurses, nurses aides, the activity people and all personnel at the home for her excellent care. Also to St. James Hospice team for their compassion and care the last few days of her life. Thanks goes to her primary doctors, Dr. Dawn Lemmert and Dr. Larry Stalter for their competent supervision.

Memorial contributions maye be made to the Good Samaritan Home in Flanagan or First Baptist Church in Minonk. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.ruestmanharrisfuneralhome.com