Ethel “Darlene” Brown, age 84, from Pfeifer, Kansas, passed away on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Good Samaritan–Hays senior living center in Hays, Kansas. 

She was born on January 26, 1942, in Bayard, Nebraska, to Harold Allen and Edna Mae (Willey) Low. She married Daryll J. Brown on March 1, 1964, in Bridgeport, NE. He preceded her in death on January 24, 1992.

Darlene was a homemaker, a switchboard operator in Bridgeport for many years, and also worked as a sales clerk at Bateman’s Trading Post. She grew up in Bayard and Bridgeport and was a 1960 graduate of Bridgeport High School. She moved to Pfeifer in 2003 to live with her daughter, and then in 2025 she moved to the Good Samaritan residence in Hays. Darlene did genealogy research on her families for over 20 years. She enjoyed crocheting, knitting, baking, and canning. Darlene always had a large vegetable garden and a number of flower gardens.

Darlene is survived by her children,Valerie (Don) Green, Nebraska City, NE; Denise (Tony) Brown, Hemingford, NE; Candice Brown (Nathan) Roth, Pfeifer, KS; her grandchildren, Andrew Hecht (Carrie); Alan Hecht; Alyssa Hurd (Juan); Nicole Connelly (Preston); Ashley Green (Dylan); Lindsay Green (Shawn); Makenzie Green (Nathan); CassieVrbka (Joel); RandalWagoner (Ashley); Kaylie Goscha; Nathan Roth Jr. (Taylor); Christian Roth (Mia); Brooklynn Roth; and Elizabeth Roth; her ten great-grandchildren; her special nephew, Curtis Brown; her other nieces and nephews; her brothers, Harold (Darlene) Low, Arapahoe, NE; Eddie Low, Minatare, NE; and her sister Lavinia Suhr, Scottsbluff, NE.

Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Edna Low; her brother, John Low; her sisters, Mary Ellen Goodro and Lois Dobrinski.

The family has selected cremation, and services will be at a later date. Inurnment will be in the Oregon Trail Memorial Cemetery in Bridgeport, Nebraska.

Memorials are suggested to the family made payable to: Candice Brown Roth, in care of Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas, 67601.

Condolences can be emailed to [email protected] or left at the guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels. com.