Former Prairie View, KS resident Darline Brown passed away Thursday, March 18, 2021 at the Norton County Hospital in Norton, KS at the age of 92.

Darline was the eldest born of William J. Leydig and Bernice "Mutum" Leydig. She was born on October 4, 1928 on a farm South of Glade, Kansas. The family moved when she was two years old. When she was five years old, she started school at Skunk Creek. Later moving to her grandfather's homestead, two miles north of Glade. She attended Glade Elementary School and graduated from eighth grade. She graduated from Phillipsburg High School in 1946.  She attended summer school at Hays. Darline taught one year at Tanward. After a year of teaching she worked at Martha's Cafe.

September the 18, 1947 she married Walter R. Brown of Prairie View. Walter and Darline lived in Prairie View most of their married life. Together they had four children, Larry, Marilyn, Rhonda, and William. The couple bought the grocery store there and called it Walt's Grocery. They ran the store for 10 years. After selling the store Darline went to work at Ed's Little Super in Logan, KS. Once there was a cook's job opening at the Prairie View School Darline jumped at it and worked there 14 years until the school was closed. While working at the school she also was a clerk at the Prairie View Post Office; she became postmaster in 1988. Darline retired from the post office. Darline was a volunteer at the Sunshine City Library and led the children in story hour during the summer. She sat on the library board.

After Walter's passing in 2006, Darline moved to Hays in 2008 to be closer to her daughter, Marilyn, and her doctors. While living in Hays Darline joined the foster grandparent program. She was a foster grandparent at Roosevelt Elementary School. She also volunteered at the library in Hays. She moved to Logan Manor in May of 2015.

Darline always loved the Lord. She was a member of the Glade Methodist Church after joining at the age of 13. After her marriage to Walter she joined the Prairie View Reformed Church, while there she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. She was a member of the Gleaners group and was the president for a number of years. When living in Hays she moved her membership to the Presbyterian Church and served as a Deacon one year. After moving to Logan Manor, she transferred her membership back to the Prairie View Reformed Church.

Darline loved scrapbooking, sewing, embroidering, gardening, and tending to her flowers. She enjoyed her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and attending their activities when she could.

Survivors include her children Larry (Verda) Brown of Prairie View; Marilyn Brooks of Hays; Bill (Nancy) Brown of Manhattan, and Rhonda Jacques of Wamego, KS, a brother Sam Leydig (Belva) of Prairie View; a sister Verlee Roark of Cassville, Mo, two sisters-in-law Lois Leydig of Council Grove and Grace Van Rokel of Phillipsburg, 13 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Walter Brown, two brothers, Norman Leydig and wife Queenie, and Dale Leydig, one son-in-law Dale Brooks, one brother-in-law Dale Brown, one sister-in-law Mae Rupke (Mel), and a great-grandson Max Dale Clark.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in the Prairie View Reformed Church , Prairie View, KS with Pastor Lew Van Der Wege officiating. The Services will be streamed on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page. Burial will follow in the Prairie View Cemetery, Prairie View, KS.

Mrs. Brown will lie in state from noon until 9 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, KS.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sunshine City Library or Logan Manor Nursing Home.

Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, P. O. Box 563, Phillipsburg, KS  67661, is in charge of arrangements.