Darlene Zola Gieser entered into eternal life on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at the age of 85 at her home in Osceola, WI.

She was born July 6, 1936 in rural Ceylon, Minnesota to Herman Gerdes Schmidt and Zola Bernice Schmidt, nee Jorgensen.

She grew up in and around Ceylon and graduated from Ceylon High School in 1954. She married Richard Gieser on March 17, 1956. They lived in Minneapolis briefly, moved to St. Paul to be near family and attend church and settled in North St. Paul.

She and Rich raised five beautiful, strong daughters - Debra, Kim, Kelly, Kathy and Lisa. Darlene was a Daughter, Sister, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Aunt, Friend and Cousin.

She wanted to be a nurse and would have been a great one, as she nursed and cared for others, including her children and husband, for much of her life. She always believed in hard work and held a variety of jobs during her life to support her family, including running her own child day care center.

Darlene was friendly and warm and strived to be a good friend and neighbor. She was a faithful Methodist all of her life.

She and Rich bought a little cabin on Paulsen Lake, in rural Osceola, WI in 1969 and settled there permanently in 1978. There were many happy family memories at “the lake”.

She also loved her little log cabin in Barnes, WI and especially liked to be the fire builder! This was truly her happy place. She was an avid walker, a dedicated Vikings and U of M Gophers fan and enjoyed gardening, reading, birds and all of nature.

She will be lovingly remembered by daughters, Debra (John) Mahoney, Kim (Scott) Freiermuth, Kelly (Nathan) Wardwell, Kathy (Boyd) Davis and Lisa Johnson; grandchildren, Colin and Patrick Mahoney, Lia and Luke Monette, Caleb Freiermuth, Jordan Gieser, Trey and Brendon Davis; great grandchildren Justus Coots, Maia and Wyatt Monette; brother, Dennis (Laura) Schmidt; and numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins and friends

She is united in heaven with her husband, Richard; parents, Zola (Jorgensen) and Herman Schmidt; sisters, Norma Reynolds and Donna Uram; brothers, Marland, Roger, and Darryl Schmidt; as well as many other dear family members and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at Osceola United Methodist Church, 306 River St, Osceola, WI. Visitation at 10:00 AM and service at 11:00 AM. Lunch and fellowship to follow at church.

Private Interment to follow at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Memorials preferred to Interfaith Caregivers of Polk County (WI) or Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

Last Update: Apr 08, 2022 4:13 pm CDT