Darlene E. Puchner

Darlene E. Puchner, age 86, of Wauneta, NE died at the Sunrise Heights Care Home of Wauneta on October 19th, 2014. She was born in LeSueur, MN on May 19th, 1928 to Henry W. and Laura (Hammer) Balk. She attended LeSueur High School, and was the first in her family to graduate. Darlene worked at the LeSueur cannery and also worked as a telephone switchboard operator and later manager for Bell Telephone Company. On July 17th, 1951 she was united in marriage to Anthony John Puchner. Tony and Darlene were blessed with and raised 8 children. Tony was a meat cutter and they relocated several times and in 1968 moved to Rushville, NE where the family lived for many years. After Tonys death in 1991, Darlene moved to Cambridge, NE in 1992 and in 1997 moved to Wauneta, NE to be closer to family. Darlene was active in her church life at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Rushville, NE and at St. Johns Catholic Church in Wauneta, NE where she was a member of the Altar Society. She volunteered as a mentor at both the Cambridge and Wauneta Palisade schools. She was a devoted mother and grandmother. She was known for welcoming any and all and treating everyone like family. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband Anthony, son George, 3 brothers, Jake, Hugo, and Ed, 2 sisters, Mildred Aalid and Joyce Andresen. Darlene is survived by her 4 daughters, Mary Kimball of Cambridge, Ruth and husband Don Lysaught of Shawnee, KS, Patrice and husband Ben Allen of Kearney, NE, Janet and husband Tim Johnson of Chadron, NE, Terry and husband Kip Engell of Wauneta, NE; two sons, Tony Puchner of Rushville, NE, Jim Puchner and wife Roxy of Chadron, NE; sixteen grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren and many, many beloved nieces and nephews. Rosary will be recited at St. Johns Catholic Church in Wauneta on Wednesday October 22nd, 2014 at 4:30pm (MST). Mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday October 23rd, 2014 at 9:30am (MST) with Father Lothar Gilde officiating. Interment will be held Thursday afternoon October 23rd 4:30 pm (MST) at the St. Marys Catholic cemetery in Rushville, NE.