Obituary of Darlene Louise Gentes

Darlene is survived by Mickey Gentes, her loving husband of 40 years; her children, Michael Gilbert, Lockley (Heidi) Gentes, Kim (Carol) Gentes, and Kelly (Tim) Hedderman; her grandchildren Daniel, David, Cheyenne, James, Gage, Luke, Jordan, Jared, Cody, Rebecca, Caitlin, Rose, and Elizabeth; her great-grandchildren; brother Dale (Donna) Sherwood; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. Darlene came into this world on Thursday, August 26 of 1948 in Edmonton, Alberta; the first of two children born to Charles and Irene Sherwood. The family moved to Ponoka soon after, where Darlene was surrounded by many aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family; some of whom still live in the area. She attended elementary and junior high schools in Ponoka before making a whirlwind tour of many small towns in the Central Alberta area as her parents moved around in search of full-time employment. The road trip finally stopped in Coronation where Darlene entered the world of high finance. She became employed as a teller at the local bank. With a paycheque and a vision, she began her own journey. Darlene held a variety of office-type jobs over her lifetime and her co-workers always loved her cheery and positive attitude. Darlene married Mickey Gentes on the 8th of May, 1979. Their blended family moved about a bit before settling in Byemoor, Alberta, where they farmed and finished raising their family. She was a very crafty person and spent a great deal of time crocheting many brightly colored works of art. Her skills with needle and thread have adorned many walls over the years. She also had a flair for drawing and, as needed, she would midwife the heck out of an expectant sheep; although, goats were her favourite. She had many talents and made friends easily wherever she went. They raised a variety of animals and crops before retiring and moving to Stettler where they maintained a residence until her passing on the 6th of February 2019.