Rapid City – Darlene F. Ferrier, 83, passed away peacefully Friday, April 2, 2021, on Good Friday at Monument Health Rapid City Regional Hospital due to complications from chronic kidney failure. She wrote her own obituary.

Darlene Faye Scheibner Hansen Ferrier was born March 23, 1938 in Mason City [Coulee Dam] Washington to Kenneth and Ann Scheibner. As a young child she lived in Grand Coulee and Electric City, WA where her father helped build the Grand Coulee Dam. Later, the family moved to Bremerton, WA where her father worked in the shipyards for less than a year, then moved the family back to Coulee City in Eastern Washington.

Darlene loved the movies and writing to the movie stars with her best friend, Mary Lou Brewer, who later became her step-sister when her father remarried. Darlene attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA until her senior year. She married Dr. Terrance Hansen in 1959 and had her daughter Tristina from that two-year marriage. Soon after she finished her college degree at Eastern Washington University with a BA in Education (later obtaining 45 graduate hours). She then moved to Moses Lake where she taught second grade for two years.

In 1962 she lost her mother to a cancerous brain tumor and that same year met Second Lieutenant Greg Ferrier, a B-52 Bomber crew member in the United States Air Force, Moses Lake, WA. They married in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho in January of 1963. Greg adopted Tristina and in September of 1963 a son, Scott, was born in Oakland, CA. Scott was delivered by her brother-in-law, Dr. George Newkilk.

They stayed in Alameda, CA several months where Greg trained on a newer model B-52 and then moved to Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, in November of that year. They were there for three years. Shortly after they were then sent to the Strategic Air Command Headquarters in Omaha, NE where Greg worked in the underground. They were in Bellevue, NE for seven years where Darlene taught the third grade. Their last assignment was Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, SD where Greg retired as a Major in the Air Force and Darlene retired as an elementary teacher.

Mrs Ferrier loved teaching and taught school for 32 years before retiring in 1999. She taught 2 years in Moses Lake, one year in Puerto Rico 7, years in Bellevue and 23 years at Meadowbrook Elementary in Rapid City, SD.

Darlene was a member of the Open Bible Christian Center, now called Open Bible Church. She attended (BSF) Bible Study Fellowship for thirteen years, studying the bible and was also in New Life, a home church which met in her home. She did not believe in death but rather in life everlasting because of her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Her belief was strong as she witnessed many miracles in her lifetime.

Her hobbies were writing, watching Turner Classic Movies, cooking and traveling. In her younger years she enjoyed bridge, bowling, dancing, and was always up for a board game. She was also a huge Elvis fan. Christmas was her favorite time of year. She loved to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Darlene contracted a kidney disease and as put on hemo dialysis in 2000 until 2002 when she received a kidney transplant at Porter Transport Hospital in Denver, CO. The kidney lasted 16 years. She currently had been on peritoneal dialysis at home until her death. She was an advocate for organ donation.

Darlene was also a member of the Red Hat Society, the Heart Smart Ladies, Alpha Delta Kappa, an honorary teacher's society, for many years. She was ADK President 1985-1986. She held nearly every office over the years and attended five international conventions in Washington, D.C., Seattle, Kansas City, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.

The light of her life was the birth of her granddaughter, Tayler Ann Weekley in November of 1990.  She is an excellent drummer, something Darlene also enjoyed. They had a very special relationship.

Darlene is survived by her husband Gregory of Rapid City; two children: Tristina (Thomas Mullin) Weekley of Rapid City and Scott of Salem, MA; granddaughter Tayler Weekley of Oroville, CA; brother Jack (Carolynne) Scheibner of Dayton, WA; aunt Sandra Scheibner of Puyallup, WA; niece Deborah (Carlos) Pessoa of Suncadia, WA; nephew Christopher (Joy) Scheibner of College Place, WA; niece Jenny (Bob) Bagwell of Grants Pass, OK; nephew Jim (Ann) Newkirk of Sonora, CA; special cousins Ron (Jeannette) Cline of Seattle, WA; and other numerous cousins.

Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Visitation from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Thursday, April 8 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.

Funeral service is 10:00 am Friday, April 9 at Open Bible Church,2225 East Saint Patrick Street, Rapid City.

Burial will be Monday, April 12 at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

Her online guestbook is available to sign at www.osheimschmidt.com and a recording of the service will be available. The church will also livestream the service at Open Bible Church of Rapid City (online.church)