Familien Hartenthaler, Mauz, Gleichfeld, Tschichholz, Burger und Schindler

Darlene Ness, 88, of Grants Pass died Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, at Norris Adult Foster Home. Private services will be held. Illinois Valley Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements. Contributions may be made to Parkinson's disease research. Ness was born Dec. 27, 1925, in Mitchell, S.D., to Fred and Celia Maresh. She graduated from high school as valedictorian and was a member of Mensa. During World War II, she packed food for soldiers while living in San Luis Obispo, Calif. On Sept. 8, 1943, in Berkeley, Calif., she married Sonny Ness, who survives. They married as he was transferring from Europe to Japan, so she lived with relatives while he served in the Army Air Forces. After the war, they settled in Illinois — first in Wauconda for a year, then in Palatine for five years and, finally, on a farm in Batavia for five years. In 1957, they moved to Casa Grande, Ariz., where they owned and operated a motel for two years. They lived in Phoenix, Ariz., for a brief period before moving to Chico, Calif., where they lived for two years. Then they lived on a large farm in Los Molinos, Calif., for nine years. From 1971 to 2001, they lived in Scottsdale, Ariz. In 2001, they designed and built an energy-efficient concrete and Styrofoam home in O'Brien. They moved to Grants Pass in 2012. She taught all of her children to cook, sew and garden before they could date. Over the years, she took a photo in every state capital except Honolulu. In addition to her husband, survivors include four daughters, Linda June Ness of Scottsdale, Kathleen Y. Lombardo of O'Brien, Vicki Brady of Benbrook, Texas, and Glenna Green of McMinnville; a son, Tom Ness of Grants Pass; a brother, Richard Maresh of Fullerton, Calif.; 12 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. A grandson, Robert Denlis, died in 2008.

Publication Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Tamara Rogers • 6. Oktober 2016

I am Darlene's grand daughter. I know that at the time of her death she actually had more than 20 great grandchildren, 13 of which are my children.