Darlene M. Bixler

Darlene M. Bixler of Palisade passed away Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at Good Samaritan Health Systems in Kearney. She was 81 years old.

Darlene was born on June 9, 1931 in Palisade to parents, Charles Loyde and Emma Mae (Shreffler) Wilson. She graduated from Palisade High School in 1948 and continued her education at Lincoln School of Commerce to study business. She returned to Palisade and started working for Southwest Public Power as a receptionist.

On August 20, 1950 she was united in marriage to Duane C. Bixler in Palisade. They made their home on a farm north of Hayes Center where Darlene was an integral part of the operation for some 40 years. She especially enjoyed taking hogs to the sale barn. Besides being a busy mother of three Darlene also worked for USDA from 1952 to 1954. She later filled the Hayes County Clerk and Assessor's positions from 1981 through 1985. Following their retirement from the farm they moved to Omaha and ran the Girl Scout Camp Maha for six years then moved to Estes Park, CO and managed the Tyrol Motor Inn from 1991 to 1997. They moved back to Palisade and Darlene returned to Southwest Public Power.

Darlene was a member of the Hayes Center Union Congregational Church where she was a Sunday school superintendent. She also attended the Palisade United Methodist Church. She was a baseball Mom volunteering 15 years for the American Legion Baseball program where she managed concessions and administration, and Duane coached. She was a member of Order of Eastern Star and was installed as Worthy Matron in 1966. She also spent countless hours volunteering for Bloodmobile, 4-H, Girl Scouts, Hayes County School Board, Election Board of Hitchcock County, and Treasurer and Grounds Keeper for Hayes County Golf Course. In her free time she enjoyed golfing, playing cards, scrap-booking, being community historian, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Charles and Emma Wilson; two brothers, Loyde and Don Wilson; and nephew, Ron Wilson.

Survivors include her husband of 62 years, Duane Bixler of Palisade; son, Steve Bixler of Palisade; two daughters, Beckey and husband, Lloyd Young of Honolulu, HI and Dorinda Bixler of Vancouver, British Columbia; sister-in-law, Irene Wilson of Carson City, Nevada; aunt Fay Sherriff of Stratton, NE; and three grandchildren, Kaeli, Karyn and Cole of Omaha; numerous nieces, nephews and a host of friends.