LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Born in Denver, Colo. on Oct. 22, 1922, Darlene Howell started life with two older brothers who died in infancy, so she was raised as an only surviving child.

Her parents moved often as a result of her father’s work as a salesman for the Jewell Tea Co. and later for The Coca Cola Co.

She attended Northwest Christian University, Eugene, Ore. where she met her late former husband, Don Burke, with whom she had two children, Robynne and Randy.

Don in the early years of there marriage was a tent evangelist in Enid, Okla. When her daughter turned 3 and Darlene was still very pregnant with Randy, she was hanging out the clothes, which turned the color of the local soil before they were dry, a dark red; she went into the house and delivered an ultimatum to Don that she would be leaving, pregnant or not, for the West Coast, where her parents were now living.

They moved to Pomona where Don joined the police department.

When Darlene and Don divorced, the children were still very young. They all moved in with Darlene’s mother and father, who raised them well with love and the virtues of honesty, integrity, hard work and compassion.

Darlene devoted her life to their care, making sure they had a sound education and a loving home; she would wait 30 years to remarry.

During this time she worked as a Realtor and eventually received her real estate broker’s license. She also owned and operated a pet shop in Pomona, Calif., for 10 years. Following that time, she moved to Los Olivos to open a mail order pet pharmaceutical company.

She met Ernie Velarde in Los Olivos and they operated the mail order pet supply company in Los Olivos, Gardnerville, and Lucerne, Calif.

They began their adventurous and happy partnership when they were married in 1982 at the Ponderosa Ranch, made famous by the T.V. series Bonanza.

Wherever they traveled, they made wonderful friends and as they moved quite often, they had many!

After 20 years and many adventures, Ernie passed away, while working for a trailer park complex in Kelseyville.

Following Ernie’s passing, she moved for the last time to the Walnut Grove Family Home in Kelseyville, near Soda Bay, where she lived quietly for 10 years, attended by the most loving care givers who treated her as close family.

She passed quietly on Jan. 8, 2015, surrounded by the devoted staff of the Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.

Her beauty, gentleness and wonderful smile will be missed by those close to her.

The family wishes to thank Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Walnut Grove Family Home, Kelseyville paramedics and all who showed great kindness for this mother of two.