Darlene M Jesse

Darlene M. Jesse, 83, died Friday, March 20, 2015.

Darlene was born September 16, 1931 and grew up in Monmouth, Illinois. She married Clyde Trego and moved to Wichita in 1948. They had two children, Marsha and Sandy, and divorced in 1954. She married Henry K. Jesse on September 30, 1954, and they had two daughters, Donna & Karen.

Darlene worked at Henryburger, the family restaurant business. She also worked as a manager for Tupperware, then with her husband Henry at Henry Jesse Upholsterers. After Henry's death in 1986, Darlene began her 20-plus-years with Sears, until she retired in 2007.

Following a move to Woodlake Mennonite Senior Housing in 2008, Darlene started working part-time in the office doing filing and soon became the Assistant Property Manager.

She enjoyed activities with her family including working in the "Slaw Room" for the annual Chicken Noodle Dinner at St. Paul’s where she had been a member for 28 years. She enjoyed gardening, genealogy, loved having and attending garage sales, vacationing with family, reading, watching Hallmark movies (especially Christmas), and listening to Big Band music.

She took special delight in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her daughters Marsha Simpson (Duane), Sandy Gray (Stan), all of Wichita, Kansas, Donna Hollifield (Jim) of Wagoner, Oklahoma, and Karen Wilkerson of Derby, Kansas. Grandchildren Teresa Gray, Tanya Simpson, Keith Simpson (Holly), Jeffery Gray (Vickie), Peter Hollifield (Kate), Melody VonFeldt (Kevin), Amanda Basinger (Lee), and Jordan Wilkerson; five great-grandchildren Taylor Phillips, Cora Widmer-Simpson, Dylan Simpson, Charles Basinger, and Devyn Simpson, and a host of extended family and friends. She is preceded in death by husband, Henry; parents Clyde and Esther Grammont; and siblings, Dorothy, Willard, Frank, Clyde, Harold, and Arthur.

Memorial service will be 11 AM Monday, March 23, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1356 N. Broadway, Wichita, 67214. A memorial been established with St. Paul's United Methodist Church.