Obituaries : Darlene Elizabeth Hartwell

Darlene Elizabeth Schoonover Hartwell

Darlene Elizabeth Hartwell was born on August 17, 1941 in Livermore, California to Leo and Florence (Evans) Schoonover. She grew up and attended school in different places throughout California, Colorado and Iowa until her family settled in Vinton, Iowa where she graduated from high school. After graduation she worked in the NASA Space Program at Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa while pursuing her Associates Degree from Coe College. On August 17, 1969 she married her soul mate, Rev. Tom Hartwell and they began their life and ministry together. They served the Lord in traveling evangelistic work for many years throughout the Midwest and pastored congregations in Indiana, Idaho, Montana and Minnesota, including Slayton from 1991-1998 when they moved to Minneapolis. She started working as a production planner for Covidian until she retired in 2011. In 2013 she was diagnosed with cancer and fought a courageous battle until she passed away July 2, 2016 at the age of 74. Her faith, courage and ever-present smile brought joy to everyone who knew her. Darlene was a woman of many of talents and enjoyed art, cooking, sewing and flower gardening. She most enjoyed spending time with her family, especially seven cherished grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband, Reverend Tom Hartwell of Minneapolis, MN; three children and their spouses, Nate (Patricia) Hartwell of Ramsey, MN; Heidi (Scott) Winter of Slayton, MN; Masa (Benton) Hartwell-Schnabel of Moundsview, MN; seven grandchildren, Brandon Winter, Adam Winter, Colton Schnabel, Morgan Winter, Isabella Hartwell, Isaac Schnabel and Tait Schnabel; two sisters Janice (Darwin) Halstead of Gainesville, TX and Kathy Steiner of Colorado Springs, CO; one brother-in-law Jim (Marilyn) Hartwell of Evansville, IN; step-brother John (Diane) Poorman , Vinton and William (Sue) Poorman of Casper Wyoming; Aunt Sylivia Schoonover of Vinton, IA; and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Leo and Dorothy Schoonover and Florence (Schoonover) Wutzke; her mother and father-in-law Howard and Ruby Hartwell; two brothers, Richard Schoonover and Leo “Toby” Schoonover and two brothers-in-law, Timothy Hartwell and Tom Steiner.

Funeral Services were held at Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton, MN on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Ted Kunze officiating. The organist is LaDean Lang with special music by Maxwell, Mason and Brenda Whitehead and a poem by Jeff Erickson. The pallbearers were Nate Hartwell, Scott Winter, Benton Schnabel, Brandon Winter, Adam Winter, Jim Hartwell, Russ Winter and Troy Winter. The honorary pallbearers were her grandchildren. Interment was at Slayton Memorial Gardens in Slayton, MN.