Darlene Emily Birt

Funeral service for Darlene Emily (Darbo) Birt, 81, of Hoyt Lakes will be 11 am Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at the Faith Lutheran Church in Hoyt Lakes with Pastor Eric Thiele officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Inurnment will be in the Hoyt Lakes Memorial Cemetery at a later date.  Arrangements are by the Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Aurora.  Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers. Darlene died Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at the Spectrum Carefree Living Facility in Aurora. Darlene was born on November 5, 1936 to Ernest and Edith (Johnson) Kutzner in Crosby, MN. She grew up in Crosby and graduated from the Crosby High School, Class of 1954.  Following high school, Darlene was united in marriage to Cleve Darbo on September 10, 1955.  The couple raised four children.  Following Cleve’s death in 1993, Darlene was remarried to Jim Birt on September 8, 2001.  Darlene had been employed by various restaurants as well as the Peabody Shirt Factory in Eveleth.  She had also managed the Montgomery Ward Store in Hoyt Lakes.  Darlene enjoyed volunteering in the community. She loved working with the youth of the community and was instrumental in establishing the Hoyt Lakes Youth Group and the Aurora-Hoyt Lakes Congratdance.  Darlene took the greatest pleasure in devoting her life to her family and dearly loved her grandchildren. Survivors include her husband, Jim; four children: Dan Darbo of Hoyt Lakes, Doug (Patti) Darbo of Winona, Diane Sandvig and Dean (Eileen) Darbo both of Hibbing; two stepchildren: Michael (Robin) Birt of Waunakee, WI and Krista (Mark) Wight of Minneapolis; Fourteen grandchildren: Dana (Joe) Kaufman, Audra Frey, Eric and Jenna Darbo, John (Meghan) Darbo, Erik (Allison) Darbo, Debra, Christina, and David Sandvig, Olivia and Ava Birt, and Katie, Regan, and Scarlet Wight; eight great-grandchildren; two sisters: Marie Schaeffer of LaCrosse, WI and Joyce (Bill) Cowman of Park Rapids, MN; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by Cleve Darbo; a brother, Stan Fleischer and her parents.