In Memory of Darlene D. Auen

Darlene D. Auen, age 93, of Wall Lake, Iowa (formerly of Odebolt, Iowa) passed away on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, at Twilight Acres of Wall Lake, Iowa.

A Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Odebolt, Iowa. Rev. David Viggers will officiate. A Visitation will be held one-hour prior to the service from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Odebolt, Iowa. Committal Services will follow in the Odebolt Cemetery of Odebolt, Iowa.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Odebolt, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

Darlene Doloris Auen, the daughter of Emil and Louise (Ehler) Sass, was born on June 17, 1928, in Logan Township, Ida Grove, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed in her faith at the St. Paul Lutheran Church of Ida Grove. Darlene attended country school and Ida Grove High School graduating with the class of 1946. She then began working at the Ida Grove Creamery and as a telephone operator. 

On August 23, 1950, Darlene was united in marriage to Ivan L. Auen at the St. Paul Lutheran Church of Ida Grove. The couple was blessed with three children: Linda, Bob and Renee. The family was engaged in farming and lived on farms in the Ida Grove, Arthur and Kiron, Iowa, areas where Darlene enjoyed being a homemaker raising her children and a farm wife to Ivan. After retiring from farming, the couple moved to Odebolt, Iowa, where Darlene worked for a few years at the Colonial Manor Nursing Home. In June of 2021, Darlene and Ivan moved to Twilight Acres in Wall Lake, Iowa, where Ivan still resides. 

Darlene was a faithful member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Odebolt where she was involved in ladies aide, altar guild, and served numerous funeral luncheons. She enjoyed visiting with others while enjoying a cup of coffee and treating them to some of her sweet homemade baked goods. Darlene was known for beautiful handwriting and would write letters to her family and friends. She treasured every card she received and kept all of them from the special occasions in her life. She will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved her.

Left to cherish her memory include her husband of 71 years, Ivan Auen of Wall Lake, IA; children Linda (Dale) Godbersen, Bob (Carol) Auen and Renee (Steve) Bengford all of Odebolt, IA; grandchildren Jade (Colton) Carstensen of Odebolt, IA, Broc (Amy) Auen of Newton, IA, Melanie Auen of Centennial, CO, Megan Auen of Aurora, CO and Kady (Austin) Steinkamp of Wall Lake, IA; and great-grandchildren Jace, Brenen and Marley Auen, Candon and Camryn Carstensen. 

She was preceded in death by her parents Emil and Louise Sass; her brother and his wife Leroy and Ruby Sass; and grandson Trent Godbersen.