Darlyne Arnola Ekstrand, 77, of Sturgeon Lake, died Sunday, December 27, in Mercy Hospital, Moose Lake. She was born February 18, 1932 in Welcome to Arnold and Leola (Wohlenhaus) Ekstrand.
Darlyne grew up in southern Minnesota, moving to the Mora area where she graduated first in Kanabec County in the 8th grade, then to Sturgeon Lake, MN.
Darlyne worked for the State of Minnesota Forestry division at General Andrews Tree Nursery for 46 ½ years. She started on February 23, 1956 as an hourly laborer and soon moved to Clerk Typist II, retiring as Office Manager on August 20, 2002. She received many awards for her outstanding service to the state of Minnesota and the Department of Natural Resources. She thoroughly enjoyed her work at General Andrews; she enjoyed the outdoors and things that go with it.
Darlyne enjoyed traveling the United States, plus a trip to Norway and a trip to Northern Ireland. Darlyne enjoyed fishing, sewing, gardening, oil painting, photography and her deer hunters each fall.
Darlyne became aware of her need of salvation and trusted Christ on September 10, 1974 while reading her Bible at her desk during her lunch hour through the truth of Acts 13:38-39. She was in fellowship with the Christians who gather to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in Hinckley, Minnesota.

Darlyne was preceded in death by her parents, sister-in-law Judith Ethel (Roseland) Ekstrand, nephew Donald Eugene Ekstrand and great niece Elizabeth Judy Klar.

Darlyne is survived by her brother, Roland and Amelia (Bontrager) Ekstrand, Hinckley, MN, nephew, James and Avril (Stewart) Ekstrand, Carmel, CA, niece Beverly (Ekstrand) and David Klar, Sandstone MN, great nieces Rachel Klar, Sandstone, MN, Michelle (Klar) and Benjamin Scherer, Bolingbrook, IL, and special friends, Ilene Wohlenhaus, Mora, MN, Raymond and Hazel Grazin, Sturgeon Lake, MN and many other relatives and friends.

Visitation was Wednesday, December 30, from 5 – 7 PM in Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake and will continue Thursday, December 31, from 12 PM until the 1 PM service at the funeral home. Spring burial will be in Sturgeon Lake Village Cemetery, Sturgeon Lake. To sign the guestbook online, go to: www.hhkfuneralhome.com Arrangements are with Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake.