Darlene M. Daws

January 2, 1942 - September 21, 2011

Services will be conducted from the St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Monday, September 26, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. with Father Tom Walsh and Father Bill Holoubek officiating. Visitation will be on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Farmer & Son Funeral Home in Geneva. Rosary service will be held at 7:00 p.m., Sunday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Geneva. Memorials are directed to Scottie's Place BBBS of the Bay Area (www.bbbsba.org/scottiesplace/), Fairview Manor, or the family. Darlene M. Vodicka Daws was born to Joseph and Agnes (Zelenka) Vodicka on January 2, 1942 in Carroll, Iowa and passed away on September 21, 2011 at Fillmore County Hospital in Geneva, NE at the age of 69 years 8 months and 19 days. She was the oldest of 6 children. Darlene lived in Iowa the first 4 years of her life. The family moved to Nebraska first living in Exeter then Fairmont where she entered the 5th grade. In 1960 she graduated from Fairmont Public School. Her first job was working at the Tower Café during high school. She then became a Certified Nurse’s Aide at the Fairmont Nursing Home and worked at the Heritage of Geneva for 1 ½ years. On March 5, 1973 the Fairview Manor in Fairmont opened with Darlene taking on the role of Certified Nurse Aide, Med Aide and worked her way up to Supervisor in the Laundry Dept. for the next 20 years. Darlene became very close to the residents of the Manor over the years considering them and her coworkers a second family. Darlene met Rex Johnson and through the years was blessed with 5 beautiful daughters. Rex passed away on January 1, 1970. On December 17, 1976 she married Willard (Bill) Daws at St. Helena’s Catholic Church in Grafton, NE. Cooking, reading, walking, watching her favorite shows, playing cards, especially Skip-Bo with her husband and family, collecting recipe books, and spending time with her family were all things she enjoyed. She is survived by daughters and son-in-laws, Desiree (Chris) Bennett of Weatherford, TX, Renee (Chris) Sluka of Roseland, NE, LaRae (Don) Garrigan of Pacifica, CA, Charlene (Joseph) Magrini of Crystal Lake, IL, and Michelle (Brian) Drahota of Lincoln, NE. Granddaughters, Shilah Garrigan of Midland, TX and Whitney Drahota of Lincoln, NE, grandsons Seth Garrigan of Pacifica, CA, Ryan Sluka of Roseland, NE and Dominic Magrini of Crystal Lake, IL. One sister, Doris Mason of Grand Island, NE, brothers and sister-in-laws, Darrell (Darlene) Vodicka of Geneva, NE, Larry (Ruth) Vodicka and Gary (Kathy) Vodicka of Fairmont, NE and numerous nieces and nephews. Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, first husband Rex Johnson Jr., second husband Willard "Bill" Daws, sister Donna Scheil, brother-in-law Don Mason, sister-in-law Linda Vodicka, and by a beloved grandson Scott Christian Garrigan.