Darleen Ann Duffy, 92, of Lake Norden

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LAKE NORDEN — Darleen Ann Duffy, 92, a former Oldham area resident, passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Avantara-Lake Norden.


Darleen Ann Tunender was born February 9, 1930, at McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. At 10 days old, she was adopted by John Sr. and Rosella Tunender. She spent her early life on a farm near Tea. In 1942, the family moved to a farm southwest of Humboldt.

Darleen graduated from Humboldt High School in 1948. She attended General Beadle College in Madison, earning a two-year teaching degree. She moved to Oldham where she taught junior high classes for two years.


During this time she met Louis Duffy, and they married on June 10, 1952, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Humboldt. The couple raised their four sons while Louis worked on the family farm east of Oldham. They lived in Oldham until moving out to the farm in 1959. In 1998, they moved back into Oldham. Louis died on March 2, 2017. In August 2020, Darleen moved to an assisted living center in De Smet, then one in Brookings. In April 2021, she moved to Avantara-Lake Norden.


Darleen was a life-long supporter of 4-H, participating throughout her youth, and then spending countless hours volunteering as a 4-H judge at both the county and state level. Darleen was very active with South Dakota Extension, serving on many committees on the state and local level, and was also involved with the Character Counts student development program. She was named an Eminent Homemaker by the state extension in 1998. Darleen was a substitute teacher at Oldham School for many years. Darleen was always dedicated to her church.


She spent many years teaching youth religion classes for kids of all ages, and served on many committees at St Catherine’s in Oldham. She was also a member of Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Darleen enjoyed baking and was always trying different recipes, simple and complex. Her potato salad was a family standard, although she claimed she had no recipe (“It’s all by taste” she said). She also enjoyed gardening, crocheting, and quilting, and was a league bowler in Madison for many years. Darleen volunteered for numerous organizations, including the Oldham Library, the Oldham Museum, Potato Days committee, American Legion Auxiliary, and was an election worker for many years.


Darleen is survived by her four sons, Gary (Judy) of Volga, Jerome of Arlington, Terry (Danita) of Brookings, Jeff (Shari) of Huron; four brothers, Bob Tunender of Duluth, Minn., Jack (Mary Lou) Tunender, and LeRoy “Tobe” (Carolyn) Tunender of Sioux Falls, and Dick (Judy) Tunender of Stillwater, Minn.; one sister-in-law, Margaret Tunender of Sioux Falls, 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; plus many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis; her parents, Rosella and John; brother, Donald Tunender; her father and mother-in-law, Charles and Ruth Duffy; one brother-in-law; and four sisters-in-law.


Funeral services for Mrs. Duffy will be 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Brookings. Burial will be in the St Catherine’s Catholic Cemetery at Oldham.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Johnson-Henry Funeral Home in Arlington and preceding services in the church on Tuesday.