Darlene Beth Yost

Darlene was born April 30, 1930 in Pine City, Minnesota. She grew up in Meadowlawn Township, east of Pine City on the family farm with her mother Cynthia Fern Clark, father Thorvold Thomsen and nine siblings: Don, Dale, Doris, Dean, Shirley, Violet, Elaine, Beulah and Mildred. Darlene met her future husband Lester Yost at a local dance hall. This sparked a lifelong love for special nights at Pine Camp dancing to the Chmieleski Brothers Polka Band. Darlene married Lester Yost on July 18, 1947 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Pine City. After Lester and Darlene were married they lived on Darlene’s stepfather’s (August Erickson) farm in Chengwatana Township near Pine City. They moved to San Diego in 1954 and returned to Pine City a year later where they purchased a home in the Woodpecker Ridge neighborhood. They lived there happily until 2001. In 2001, Darlene and Lester moved to several different care facilities. Darlene worked at 3M in Pine City. She was an avid seamstress and enjoyed making clothing for her children and grandchildren. She was a woman ahead of her time in many areas. She was an advocate of healthy cooking and eating and enjoyed staying ahead of fashion trends. She loved fishing on the Kettle River with family fish fry nights to follow. The Yost home was the sight of many parties with families and friends. She was a gracious and welcoming host. Lester and Darlene belonged to many card clubs and cherished time with family and friends. Darlene is survived by four children: Clark Yost of Minnetonka, Cleo, (Jeff) Johnson of Wyoming, MN, Carol, (Earl) Hall of North Branch, MN and Cindy Yost of North Branch, MN; grandchildren Melissa (Peter) Anderson, Liza Hall, Doug (Nicci) Johnson, August Schwerdfagger and Jason Elstad; and three great-grandchildren: Charlie Anderson, Dane Hall, Max Anderson and a fourth on the way! Preceding Darlene in death are her parents Thorvald and Cynthia Thomsen, husband Lester, grandson Phillip Hall and all of her nine siblings. Darlene passed away peacefully on April 19, 2011 at Grace Point Crossing West in Cambridge, MN at the age of 80 years and 11 months. Services will be held at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Pine City on Monday, April 25, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. with Rev. Vicki VanderVegt officiating. A time of visitation is planned for one hour prior to the service at church. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service~Swanson Chapel in Pine City, MN. www.funeralandcremationservice.com