Marjorie Darnell

Marjorie (Pat) Darnell died from a stroke Friday, January 13, 2012, at the home of her son Carl in Durango. Although she resided at Sunshine Gardens West, she considered Carl’s home her home. She was 103.

Known as “Pat,” she was born April 26, 1908, in Wichita, Kansas, to Bert and Eva McGinnis. The family moved to Goodwell, Okla., in 1915, where she attended school at Panhandle A&M. Pat was brought up on farm life and enjoyed many aspects of it, especially being outside and avoiding housework. She married James F. (Mike) Darnell on Christmas Day, 1935, in Dalhart, Texas. He retired as a Command Sergeant Major, after serving 27 years in the Army. Mike died on May 19, 1987.

Pat had a colorful career: She worked for The Victor American Fuel Co. in Denver, Colorado; as a school secretary in the Oklahoma A&M School of Agriculture; at the Federal Land Bank in Wichita, Kansas; for the Aetna Life Farm Loan Dept. in Lawton, Oklahoma; and spent ten years as school secretary for Lawton High School before retiring in 1972.

She was an active member of St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Lawton, the St. Paul’s United Methodist Women, St. Paul’s choir, Friends of the Lawton Public Library, and the Comanche County Retired Educators Association. She lived in Lawton from 1952 until 2008, when she moved to Durango, Colorado, to be closer to family.

“She had an incredibly positive attitude and was the most humble, modest person imaginable. Many people who met her thought she was in her 80s,” Carl said.

Her eldest son Michael added, “She was a most even-tempered woman, in spite of sharing a home with three headstrong males. She was stronger than all of us!”

Pat attributed her long life to lots of exercise, walking to school, and proper diet. She said her mother was a good nutritionist.

Mrs. Darnell is survived by her son Michael and daughter-in-law Billie, of San Antonio, son Carl, of Durango, three step-grandchildren, four step-great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Roberta McGinnis of Colorado Springs, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, two brothers, Bob and Bert McGinnis, and four sisters, Ruth McGinnis, Mary Shapley, Lois Baumgartner, and Josephine Lawrence.

Her memorial service will take place January 23 at 10:30 A.M. at St Paul’s United Methodist Church in Lawton, followed by a reception, and then burial at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma National Cemetery with her beloved husband of 52 years.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to St. Paul’s Methodist Church People Fund or Comanche County Chapter of The American Red Cross.

There will also be a celebration of Pat’s life at Carl’s home in Durango sometime in February.

An online guest book and sympathy cards are available at www.beckerfuneral.com