Dale Darnell

Dale Benjamin Darnell, Jr., known most of his life as Buddy, was born January 8, 1949 at Lincoln, Nebraska. He was one of seven children of Dale B., Sr. and Clara (Kucera) Darnell. Buddy attended Blessed Sacrament School in Lincoln through junior high and graduated from Lincoln Pius X High School.

Buddy went on to attend Fairbury Junior College, and in 1968 began working as a glazier with Harding Glass in Fremont and then with Glass Contractors in Lincoln.

On October 1, 1972 Buddy was united in marriage to Vicki Stanley at Blessed Sacrament Church. They made their first home together in Lincoln and were blessed with two children, Tracy and Chris.

In July 1975 Buddy and Vicki moved to Stella, Nebraska and he started Darnell Glass Company. Buddy sold, replaced, and repaired glass from the business in Stella for the rest of his life.

As a member of St. Anne?s Catholic Church in Shubert, Nebraska, Buddy was active in church affairs. In his spare time he liked to fish and camp with relatives and many friends. Most of all, Buddy enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren participate in sports and other activities.

Buddy began a battle with cancer in June of 2007 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Cared for throughout his struggle by Vicki, other family, and friends, Buddy chose to spend his last days at home in Stella. It was there he passed away, with family surrounding him, on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at the age of 62 years, 2, months, and 28 days. His sister Theresa Darnell, parents Dale, Sr. and Clara, and father- and mother-in-law Blaine and Delpha Stanley preceded him in death.

Buddy is survived by his wife Vicki of Stella; children and their spouses Tracy and Bob Kill of Omaha, NE; Chris and Jessica Darnell of Stella, NE; grandchildren Brooke Witt, Brittany Witt, and Hailey Kill, all of Omaha; Baily Darnell, Brody Darnell, and Addison Darnell, all of Stella; other relatives and many friends.

Funeral mass was celebrated Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Falls City, officiated by Father Ramon Decaen. Special music was presented by vocalist Cindy Bangert and pianist Bernice Kopetzky. Urnbearers were Brooke Witt, Brittany Witt, Baily Darnell, Brody Darnell, Hailey Kill, Addison Darnell, Heath Stanley, A.J. Ahern, Ben Stanley, Jeff Ahern, Adam Stanley, Brad Ahern, Blake Augustyn, and Kade Stanley. Gift bearers were Jina Santo and Kate Augustyn. Honorary Urnbearers were Garland Shafer Garth Shafer, Sid Lockard, Joe Glenn, Mike Sullivan, Larry Helmick, and Matt Lockard. Inurnment of ashes was in the Stella Cemetery.