Darlene Kay Euritt (Heide)

You may think you have had a great homegrown tomato but if it wasn't grown by Darlene Euritt then you haven't had the very best. This daughter of Iowa who spent the majority of her life in Missouri knew the magic of taking the best tomato that rich Midwestern soil could produce and making it better.
Darlene was born in Maquoketa, Iowa to Alma and Mildred Heide, one of five siblings that included Mava, Lois, Marlan, and Wayne. While still a youngster the family purchased and relocated to a farm outside Lamoni, Iowa. Darlene grumbled that the move meant the family gave up indoor plumbing for an outhouse. In grade school she once won a spelling contest and was awarded a lollipop. She proudly brought it home then insisted on dividing it equally into seven portions so that each member of the family could share her prize.
In high school she met James Euritt from Kellerton on the school bus when she was a freshman and he was a sophomore. Though she initially ignored him they began dating a year later and before they finished high school they knew they would get married. Three months after Darlene graduated they celebrated their wedding. Their first home together was in Independence, Missouri where they continued to live throughout their 67 years of marriage. Adding children Steven, Mark, and Kathy completed their family.
'Mile the family was young Darlene worked for the City of Independence in the Finance Department. By the time the kids were teenagers she became a dedicated and talented ceramics hobbyist. This passion and her business acumen led to the creation of Stardust Ceramics, an endeavor that began in her basement and soon moved to a shop on 24 Highway near the Truman Library. There she sold all the supplies for ceramics enthusiasts but the most enjoyable aspect of the business were the hundreds of classes she taught. In retirement years she moved the business out of the shop and onto the road. She and Jim traveled in their Magical Motorhome pulling a cargo trailer, setting up the Stardust booth at craft shows throughout the country. Darlene's natural artistic ability also included oil painting and floral arranging. She was honored to be one of the founding members of the service club that provided weekly Ikebana arrangements for the Worshiper's Path at the Community of Christ Temple. She was a true artist and craftswoman.
Darlene and her family were active members of Community of Christ at the Farview Heights congregation which later became known as Village Heights. She was a Skylarks leader, active in the Women's Department, and was always eager to support the programs of the congregation. The pastor often turned to her to organize banquets, knowing that she would do an excellent job. Jim and Darlene were active in the Community of Christ Laurel Club for many years. They were involved in volunteering for the Marian Hope Center and EFECT. In the words of one granddaughter she had the heart of a servant. For many years she and her sister, Mava, sang in the annual Messiah choir at the Community of Christ Auditorium. She never wavered in her confidence in the leadership, practices and principles of the Community of Christ, a faith she inherited from her parents and grandparents.
She was the Queen of Fun. Darlene organized adventures to theme parks and the drive-in theater, enjoying them at least as much as the kids. Camping and traveling to new places was the primary vacation agenda. With Jim driving their boat she taught numerous groups of young people how to water ski. The Euritt family is known for their passion for games and Darlene was a fierce competitor. Only grandchildren received any mercy. The rest of us were given no quarter. Even when other faculties had begun to fade Darlene could still win a hand of Rook.
More important than all of these things was family. To say that Darlene was devoted to her children and grandchildren would be trite. Her family was what she lived for. No indulgence was over the top, no Christmas was complete without a mountain of gifts, and no school performance or graduation was too distant. Her strongest desire was to be present for her offspring in any way she could be. The proof of this is in the words her grandchildren use to describe her: selfless, strong, compassionate, generous, involved, encouraging, dedicated, loving, welcoming. "She didn't miss a thing," said one, referring both to her commitment to attending school functions AND her ability at cards. When asked for a word to describe their great grandma, Anna and Rae said, "ice cream!" and "wagon!"...words that are evidence of the fun they had when visiting Darlene and Jim at their retirement community apartment.
Those who mourn the loss of their dear sister are Mava Holst, Lois (Bob) Moe, and Wayne
Heide. Her loving grandchildren are Brian, Laura (Aaron, Anna, Raylynn), Carolyne (Shadow, Heather), Michele (David), Camille, Ashley (Jacob, Jaelynn), and Zachary. Her devoted children are Steve and Karen, Mark and Julie, Kathy and Greg. Her steadfast husband who has gently cared for her as her abilities diminished is James Euritt. He tended to her every need with patient loving kindness. In the end he softly held her hand, letting her go. She will also be missed by a multitude of loving nieces and nephews with fond memories of their dear aunt.
You may take the girl from the farm but you'd have been hard pressed to take the farm out of Darlene. She and Jim always had a kitchen garden in their backyard and could successfully grow most anything, not the least of which was bountiful crops of tomatoes. These tomatoes might not have been the earliest to ripen, the largest, or the most beautiful specimens but their flavor put fancy heirloom tomatoes to shame. In High Tomato Season Jim and Darlene were known to go on a diet consisting mostly of BLT sandwiches. When summer finally comes after this long season of cold, at some point you'll encounter the first homegrown tomato of the year. As you bite into it we ask that you think fondly of Darlene, our dear sister, aunt, great-grandmother, grandmother, mother-in-law, mother, and wife. She'll be chuckling, knowing that no matter how tasty the one you're eating is, it's not as good as hers.