Darlene Ponder

Darlene Rae (Shope) Ponder

February 12, 1936 ~ April 15, 2021

Our dear sweet mother Darlene Rae (Shope) Ponder, a resident of Roy, Utah, passed away April 15, 2021 at the age of 85.

The daughter of Clarence Adam Shope and Priscilla Gertrude (Hutchings) Shope, mom was born February 12, 1936 on the family farm just a few miles outside of Hartington, Nebraska. When mom was born they did not have electricity, indoor running water, plumbing or natural gas so they used an outhouse located a short distance from the house, hauled water from outdoors for household use and used a wood burning stove in the kitchen for cooking and heating.  Everyone did farm chores and one of the chores mom hated most was gathering eggs. She used a stick she kept hidden in the hen house to hold the chickens’ heads down so she could pull them off the nest.  During her younger years mom walked through fields to a small one room rural schoolhouse and in May 1953 she graduated from Coleridge High School. When mom was growing up life on the farm was no doubt challenging and difficult, but they did have fun. Oh the stories she would tell us; we could write a book.

In May 1954 mom married dad RL Ponder in a Baptist Church in Smyrna, Georgia. Dad was serving on active duty in the U.S. Air Force so we moved frequently. When dad retired from the Air Force in 1970 we moved to Utah where mom has been a resident since. When dad passed away in 2010 they were married for more than 56 years. When we first moved to Utah mom worked at The Oaks restaurant in Ogden Canyon and Hilltop Lanes Bowling Alley in Ogden. In 1971 she embarked on a career spanning 28 years at the Ogden Weber Applied Technology Center. She started out as a receptionist and in later years she worked with accounts payable/receivable. In July 1999 she retired from Ogden Weber ATC.

Even as she got older and increasingly fragile mom was an extremely active person and was always busy doing something. Mom enjoyed exercising, toiling around in her house, gardening, dining out with family and friends, spending time with her children, visiting with her sisters, going on walks with her four-legged pawed furry friend Rapunzel and golfing. Mom was an avid golfer for many years and spent a lot of time on the golf course with her dear friends Connie and Jeannie. When mom was worn out from everything else she did she enjoyed watching TV. Mom loved being pampered at the hair and nail salons. While she was in the hospital and hospice several of the medical staff complimented her on how pretty her nails were, even after she was gone. A very special thank you too Pattie and Jana for always making our mom so beautiful.

Mom lived a full and good life but as her health began to decline at some point, she knew it was time to let go of her earthly existence, so she made the decision to stop all treatment. Despite her deteriorating condition that was so painful for the rest of us to watch somehow mom managed to hang on to her sense of humor and wit as long as she could. Mom was extremely happy to see all the family and friends who visited her during the days prior to her passing and we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support. Mom was especially thrilled when she was able to see her great-great-grandbabies that she had not yet met. Even as she lay in her bed slowly slipping away, we were so happy we were able to talk with her for the last time.

A very special thank you to all the medical professionals and staff at McKay Dee Hospital, Stonehenge of Ogden and Sage from Canyon Home Care and Hospice for all the tender loving care and compassion you provided for our mom. We are grateful. For those of us left behind there will forever more be a huge empty void left in our lives. Our mom has been the rock that we clung to all these years and the one person who kept us together as a family.

Mom is survived by her dear sisters, Ellen (Gary) and Linda; her children, Tim (Lucy), Pam (Mark), and Penny; five grandchildren, Stefanie, Crissi (Mike), Amber (Colt), Priscilla and Noah; ten great-grandchildren, Matteo, Sarah, Maia, Paris, Benjamin, Garrian, Michaela, Dylan, David and Israel; two great-great-grandchildren, CJ and Hadley; her nieces, Gayle, Tammy and Elizabeth; her nephews, Patrick, Chris, Tony, Adam and Jesse and her furry friend Punzel. She was preceded in death by her husband, RL; her parents; her son, Randy and her older brother, Harold.

Funeral services will be he held on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 2 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the mortuary. Per mom’s wishes she will be cremated and interred with our dad (R.L.) and our brother Randy in the Lindquist’s Memorial Park at Layton, Utah.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to your favorite charity or plant some flowers in your garden in memory of our mom. Mom loved to see flowers growing her garden.