Services
Obituary
Darlene M. (Smith) Heaberlin, 94, of Rowan, passed away on Thursday, November 30, 2023 with her family by her side at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.
Memorial services will be held at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at Ewing Funeral Home, 111 Luick’s Lane South in Belmond, with Pastor Katie Pals officiating. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery in Rowan.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM prior to services at the funeral home on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
Darlene was born April 8,1929 in Charlton Iowa. The first child of Thomas and Evelyn Smith. Darlene attended school in Indianola, Iowa and later in Des Moines. She completed school in her 9th grade. It was said that was where she literally first ran into the man that would become her future husband. After high school Darlene worked for a brief time at Stille Hospital in Des Moines. In hopes of studying to become a nurse. But life had other plans for her. She met and later married Avery Heaberlin June 24,1950. Together they worked on a farm in the Norwalk area. They welcomed 8 children Tom, Ann, Mary Lou, David, Avery(Butch), Terry and twin boys Gary and Larry. They farmed together on that homestead. Darlene raised chickens by the hundreds and had a big garden and canned to meet the needs of their family. Darlene also took a job outside of the home at Holiday Inn in Des Moines to help meet the needs of a big family. They left the farm in 1974 and moved to Earlham where they continued to work at Holiday Inn and in 1976 they returned to the farm in Norwalk. They resided there for another year until finally making Rowan Iowa their home. While in Rowan Darlene helped her husband with mowing cemeteries and church grounds. Darlene was an avid reader one of her favorite authors was Debbie Macomber if she couldn’t find a new book she would reread her others. She loved listening to old time country music. She spent many hours sitting outside her home with grandkids if available, the chicken and deer statues and watching the semis go past their home. She also loved telling her grandkids about stuffed animals across the road from her home on a tractor that also displayed the American Flag. In the final couple years of her life she resided at the Belmond Rehabilitation Center. Where she shared special moments with her granddaughter and great granddaughter who helped care for her. Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband Avery, 3 children Ann, Butch and Larry. 2 beautiful granddaughters Jennifer and Stephanie and Son-in law Larry Robb and her 2 brothers Gary and Ronnie. Those left to celebrate her life are 5 children, Tom (Mary), Mary Lou, David (Glenda), Terry and Gary, daughter in law Terri Curtis and son in law Lenny (Jane) Mauk. Her 16 grandchildren and numerous great/great great grand children, also 2 sisters Sandy and Pauline.