Darline Alice Perry Brown

Darline and her sister, Mamie double-dated with Fred Brown and John Ensz. Johnny liked Mamie and asked Fred if he minded switching dates. Fred agreed. So when the girls come out of the house the switch was made. Darline married Fred and Mamie married Johnny. Both couples were married over 60 years. Early in their marriage, they lived in a house in the city of Bridgewater, SD where 7 of their 8 children were born and the oldest graduated from. Fred worked for the railroad and was gone for stretches of time. Darline stayed at home, busy with their large family. Later they moved to a farm NW of Salem, SD. Darline made the best apple pies and worked very hard. They butchered all their own meat, rendered their own lard, grew their own vegetables, and canned them. Made jam out of Mulberries and Strawberries that they grew on their farm. They had no indoor bathroom or running water. Every day a pail of fresh water was carried to the house in a metal pail. Everyone drank from the bucket with the same ladle. Years later, they sold the farm and moved into a tiny little house in the city of Salem, SD. After a few years, health issues forced them into the Nursing home in Salem, SD. Darline loved to play cards and visit. She was competitive and fun to be around. She had the most beautiful thick silver-white hair. She was very fair complected with blue eyes probably from her English/Irish heritage. When she was young she was a strawberry blonde and kept out of the sun. She later had some skin cancer on her face.