Grace
Irene (Darling) Lerum, age 93, a former teacher and a long time farm wife
from Sweet Grass, died peacefully Tuesday, May 24, 2005 due to natural causes at
the Marias Care Center in Shelby. Visitation will be 1-8 p.m., Friday at the
Whitted Funeral Chapel in Shelby. Her funeral will be 2 p.m., Saturday at the
Lutheran Church of Sunburst with burial to follow in Sweet Grass Cemetery.
Condolences can be sent to the family at
www.whittedfuneralchapel.com.
She is survived by her daughters, Dorothy Lee of Hermiston, OR and Lori (Jim) Boltz of Big Lake, AK; sons Darrel of Tualatin, OR and Robert R. (Tina) of Lakeside, MT; sister, Doris Early of Half Moon Bay, CA; brother, Robert Darling of Milk River, AB and sister-in-law, Helene Lerum of Sweet Grass. Also surviving Grace are eight grandchildren, Tom Lee, Dona Lee, Cari (Joe) Boltz Zawodny, Nathan (Leah) Boltz, Zach Lerum, Ben (Julie) Lerum, Evan Lerum and Josie Lerum as well as eight great grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Robert in 1978; sisters, Mildred McLeod, Helen Coover, Alice Turner and Bernice Eliason; brothers, Harold and Richard Darling and an infant son.
Grace was born March 26, 1912 on a homestead outside of Coutts, Alberta to Harry and Faye (Willey) Darling. She attended schools in Coutts and Sweet Grass beginning at the age of 4, and graduated from high school at age 16. She graduated from Western Montana Normal College with a teaching degree at age 18. She taught at the Willshaw School east of Sweet Grass.
She married Robert L. Lerum and together they farmed and ran the Sunshine Dairy. After closing the dairy, they continued to farm until Bob’s retirement.
Grace was a founding member of the Lutheran Church of Sunburst. She started a Sunday school in Sweet Grass in 1948 and held classes there until 1970, continuing to teach in Sunburst until 1974. She remained active in the church until she moved to the Marias Heritage Center in 2002.
Besides being a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother and faithful servant of Christ, Grace will be remembered for her love of reading and traveling, her sewing and her wonderful accurate memory.
Grace had a passion for learning and loved children. The family requests memorial donations be made to the Lutheran Church of Sunburst. These funds will be used to create an interactive electronic library to educate youth and adults.