Darlene “Tootie” Bickler
July 6, 1935-Oct. 1, 2023
Jamestown
Darlene “Tootie” Bickler, 88, left life on this Earth, Sunday, October 1, 2023 at Jamestown Regional Medical Center in Jamestown, North Dakota. She was welcomed into this life on July 6, 1935 to Lawrence “Tinnie” and Borgelle (Hansen) Britsch at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Rugby, North Dakota. Years later, she would come to work at this same hospital as an LPN.
Darlene spent her first seven years of life on a farm by York, North Dakota. The family later moved to Harlow where she attended Harthway Elementary School. She spent her high school years attending school in Baker and Maddock. In 1955, she continued her education and graduated from the ND State School of Science in Wahpeton with a certificate to practice nursing. Darlene worked as a nurse in Seattle, Washington and Rugby. She talked fondly about delivering babies and working with their parents. While working in Rugby, she met her husband of fifty years, Daniel Bickler. Daniel and Darlene were united in marriage on September 14, 1959 at Little Flower Catholic Church in Rugby. Darlene continued her nursing career until they decided to start a family. Dan continued to work in the family’s grocery store business to support their growing family. They were blessed and welcomed five children into this world, Kent, Kim, Kristi, Kari and Kurt.
In the early 1970’s, they decided to move the family to Tioga, it was there they owned and operated Dans Piggly Wiggly. Darlene was very active in her children’s school activities as well as church activities. She loved to go to auctions with the girls, paint beautiful landscape pictures, tend to her flower beds and play bridge. Dan and Darlene enjoyed traveling and saw many different parts of the world. Her favorite place was the tulip fields of Holland. They also spent many weekends entertaining family and friends at their cabin on Lake Sakakawea.
Dan left this life in August of 2011 and Darlene stayed in Tioga for a few years before finding herself wanting to reconnect with friends and family in Rugby, so she decided to make a move. She settled in Rugby for a few years and eventually moved to Jamestown. While in Jamestown, she lived in a retirement community and made many wonderful friends. They enjoyed playing cards and celebrating birthdays together.
Darlene is survived by her five children, Kent (Joy) Bickler of Tioga, their children, Jennifer (John) Davis of Clancy, Montana and Mitchell Bickler of Velva, Kim Illerbrun of Billings, Montana and her children, Justin (Montserrat Soto-Perez) Volz of San Diego, California and Jessica (George) Niland and their children Joey and Jack of Lubbock, Texas, Kristi (Alex) Gonzales of Omaha, Nebraska and their daughter, Ashley (Zachary) Thompson of Lincoln, Nebraska, Kari (Tom) Thrift of Jamestown and their children Amanda (Cody Duffy) Thrift of Valley City and Brandon (McKenzie Striefe) Thrift of Buchanan and Kurt Bickler of Roseau, Minnesota and his step-children, Dylan (Rachel) Gjovik and their daughter, Demi of Watford City and Whitney Gjovik and her daughter, Ayla of Roseau, Minnesota; her sister, Diane Bloomster of Barnesville, Minnesota; several nieces, nephews; other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dan; brothers, Jerry and Ritchie; parents-in-law, Louie and Julia Bickler and her parents, Tinnie and Borgelle Britsch.
Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at the Anderson Funeral Home in Rugby with burial in the Little Flower Catholic Cemetery in Rugby. Father Franklin Miller, Celebrant
Arrangements with the Anderson Funeral Home of Rugby. Online registry: www.funeralsbyanderson.com
Published by The Pierce County Tribune, October 7, 2023.