Virginia “Darlene” Nelson, 89, of Udall, Kansas, passed from this life to her eternal life with the Lord Friday, October 2, 2026.

She was born at the family home, August 20, 1937, to loving parents James and Irene Williams. She was raised on a farm three miles northeast of Udall. As a child, she helped with all the farming, harvest, plowing, and hauling crops to the elevator.

She received her education at Olive and Centennial, country schools, and graduated from Udall High School two nights before Udall’s May 25, 1955 tornado.

Darlene worked at Boeing, Cessna, Beech, and McConnell Air Force Base. In Udall, she did child care in her home for eight years. Her father had a stroke and she cared for him from 2000 until 2013, and cared for her mother until 2010; having her parents in her life 72 and 75 years.

Darlene had a four year marriage 1955 to 1959, having a son Carl “Sonny” Cooper. She then had a twenty year marriage 1961 to 1981 and the couple had two children, Denny Willis and Etta Willis Long. She was united in marriage to Ronald Nelson on June 21, 1984, at the First Baptist Church in Udall.

Darlene’s faith was very important to her. She attended Congregational Church in Udall as a young girl. She traveled with Denny and Etta’s father in the US Air Force and was saved in a Baptist Church in Riverside, California, and baptized in a Baptist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was a member of other Baptist churches in Marysville, California, Rantoul, Illinois, and Iowa Park, Texas. She was very proud that she and her husband Ronald were Charter members of Country View Baptist Church in Udall. She also served as their organist since 1989.

Darlene’s favorite times were spent with her family and church family. She enjoyed travels to Mexico, Canada, Alaska, and all the US except Hawaii. Her hobbies were making picture albums, coin books, and collecting stamps for all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband Ronald Nelson of Udall; her children, Carl “Sonny” Cooper and wife, Stephanie; Denny Willis; Etta Long, Mike Nelson and wife, Pam, Stevean Nelson, Ginger Wieckhorst, Randy Willis and wife, Cheryl, Wendy Willis; one brother Donald Williams and wife, Mary; her grandchildren, Aaron Cooper and wife, Tiffany, Allen Cooper and wife, Nicole, Anthony Patterson, Hailey Long, Heath Satterlee, Billy Jo Melton, Belinda Melton, Ashley Everly, Wyatt Everly; her great grandchildren, Annabel Owens, Payton Cooper, Sophia Cooper, Avarie Cooper, Mason Cooper, Korbin Patterson, Kaylin Patterson, Bentley Patterson, Nevaeh Bishop, Harlin Wolfe, Kevin West, Tommy West, Mariah West, Makayla Gregory, Lexi Gonzalez, Chloe Weems, Stella Weems, Olivia Weems, Presley Perkins; and her nieces and nephews, Donald Williams, Jr. and wife, Holly, and their son Ben, Joy Bland-Knowles.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by a sister-in-law Phyllis, and one great granddaughter Kyla Marie Patterson.

Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Country View Baptist Church in Udall. Interment will follow at the Udall Cemetery. A visitation will be held at Miles Funeral Service in Winfield on Wednesday from 4 to 8 PM. The family will greet visitors from 4 to 6 that evening.