Barbara B. Darden

She was just a little girl when her mother, Dorothea (Heyser) Krebs, with ailing grandparents and 5 young children in tow, packed what few possessions could fit on the carriage, harnessed their best Trakehner broodmares and fled the advances of the Russian troops.

A grueling, cold and perilous journey later landed the small family in the small Baltic town of Oldenburg, Schleswig Holstein. Here her mother and siblings managed to survive and, in time, the family also thrived. Children grew up, started careers and families of their own.

As a young woman, Barbara was interested in Biology and spent time studying viruses in the lab. During a trip in the early 1970s to visit her cousin in Texas, Barbara met her husband to be, Dr. Colgate Darden III. They were married and lived for better, and sometimes for worse, in Lexington, SC for the next 37 years. Together they had one daughter, Dorothea Darden. Barbara was widowed in 2009.

Throughout her life, Barbara loved to travel and traveled often. She was a passionate gardener and an avid birder. She loved the outdoors, art and nature’s beauty. She always had an exquisite and practical sense for designing spaces. She was a true friend among friends, of which there are quite a few. Independent and strong-minded to the very end, and with all the virtues and faults accumulated over 80 years, Barbara Darden passed peacefully on August 4, 2021.

She will be missed by her granddaughters, Elisabeth and Carmen Coves-Darden; her daughter and son-in-law, Dorothea Darden and Miguel Coves, and by dear friends and family both here in the US and overseas.

~ We will carry you forth in our hearts ~

A memorial gathering will be held for friends and family in the weeks to come. As those plans form, information will be posted here on this site.

A candlelight vigil is set up in her honor at the family chapel. Friends are welcome. Flowers, candles, pictures or what you might wish to share in her honor may be sent to: Coves Darden Farm, 1305 Surrey Race Road, Springfield, SC 29146 (803-270-5912).