Darlene Sophia Boroff

Darlene Sophia Boroff, 79 of Wood River died Thursday, February 23, 2017 at CHI St. Francis Health in Grand Island.

Funeral Services will be 10:30 A.M. Monday, February 27, 2017 at Grace Lutheran Church in Wood River. Interment will be in the Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Pastor James Fandrey will be officiating. Visitation will be from 4-6 P.M. Sunday at Grace Lutheran Church in Wood River. Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date. Apfel Funeral Home is caring for the family.

Darlene was born on July 30, 1937 in Wood River, Nebraska to Frederick and Dorothy (Spellman) Eickhoff. She attended school at Wood River. Then moved to Omaha and completed Omaha School of Business. After she graduated Omaha, she moved to Washington DC and worked for the military as a personal secretary. She then transferred back to Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, NE, where she also worked as a personal secretary in Transportation.

Darlene married Jim Boroff, Sr. on January 19, 1958 at Grace Lutheran Church in Wood River. They lived in Omaha for their first year of marriage, then moved back to Wood River, where they had six children. Their children are, Stephanie, James, Jr., Rachel, David, Daniel, and Miriam. The couple built their home outside of Wood River, and still lived at this same home site at the time of Darlenes death.

Darlene was a stay at home mom until the youngest started school, when she started driving bus for the school system. Over the years of her work career, she worked at AOK Tool in Alda, was Grand Island Treasurer, and was the Grand Island Manager at Wheelers for several years, then went on to work at other jobs in the Grand Island area until she worked at Principal Financial Group where she retired from. After her retirement, she worked as a Para at the Wood River Elementary School. While her children were young, she designed and sewed clothes for the working women, especially focusing on the pregnant working women, since there wasnt a maternity line for business attire. She also did an in home business of BeeLine while her children were young.

Darlene was elected into the ESU 10 in Kearney for over 30 years, where she served different roles including Secretary, Vice President, and others. She was a member of VFW Womens Auxiliary, where she was president for over 10 years. She was a lifelong member through baptism and confirmation of Grace Lutheran Church in Wood River. She was very involved and served on many committees, including the LML. She was church secretary for many years, and sang on several occasions for the church.

Darlene loved dancing, and her children and grandchildren loved watching her and Jim dance together. Jim and Darlene won the Nebraska State Bicentennial Ballroom, Waltz and were 2nd in the Polka Competitions.

Darlene was a very talented artist and painter She loved to sing and enjoyed sewing and designed many of her own creations rather than using a pattern. In her younger years, she was a talented athlete and played softball through the years of her children growing up.

Her greatest joys were her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She stayed very involved through all of their schooling, activities, programs, and performances, where she had many adopted kids. She believed strongly in cheering for all kids. She always remained positive and came through many trials and tribulations with grace, including surviving breast cancer and reoccurring skin cancer. She had many dreams for herself and for her children and considered her biggest accomplishment the raising of her children and being a strong presence in her family. She had a very strong faith in God and served him well through her 79 years.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Jim of Wood River; 6 children and their spouses, Stephanie Medinger of Tomball, TX, James Boroff, Jr. of Wood River, Rachel Kottwitz of Hastings, David Boroff of Grand Island, Daniel and Kathy Boroff of Grand Island, Miriam and Eddie Burchfield of Central City, Paula Hulme of Grand Island; 15 grandchildren and their spouses, Ericka Medinger, Jessica Medinger, Heather and Kevin Hunt, Nicole Kottwitz, Krystal and Eric Barnacle, Christopher Boroff, Josh Lewis, Tyler Lewis, Brandon and Jessie Boroff, Amber and Bob Holthaus, Shandell and Brent Hull, Crissa and Wade Obermier, Clint Burchfield, Adam and Abby Burchfield, Micah Burchfield; 21 great-grandchildren, Xavier, Drake, Ellie, Lokken, Rowyn, Destiny, Karlie, Blake, Marley, Colton, Caselynn, Wyatt, Harleigh, Tony, Aubri, Aidan, Olivia, Clara Mae, Amelia, Lexi, Caleb; 2 sisters and brothers-in-law, Elaine and Harold Plejdrup, Joan and Glenn Sebesta; 1 brother and sister-in-law, Fred and Debra Eickhoff.

Darlene was preceded in death by her parents; maternal and paternal grandparents, 2 grandsons, Daniel Boroff II and David Boroff, Jr; and numerous unheld babies of her family.