Darlene Austin

Darlene Austin was born on December 24, 1931in Lawson, Texas to Mr. Gary Austin and Geneva Usrey. Darlene was a special person from the day she was born. Not only was she a Christmas Eve baby, but she was given birth on the very dining table that Christmas dinner was held! Her childhood was harsh, in that her and her siblings grew up on a farm during the Great Depression. She loved riding and caring for the horses on the farm. Darlene had to become strong and independent at a young age. She was raised by her grandparents to be a respectable, hard-working person. She’d tell her herself that she learned all about the “real world” all by her lonesome.

Darlene worked as an escrow officer at Dallas Title Company in order to provide for her girls. And though she was never a professional bartender, she should’ve been one, for she could whip up some good cocktails. Because of her upbringing during the Depression, she never wasted anything. She was health conscious, and an excellent cook. Darlene loved music and loved to dance. She used to go dancing often with her brother Willis. She enjoyed comedies and mysteries. She was a sports fan as well. She enjoyed watching the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.

As mentioned before, Darlene was a special person. Even her name was significant to her character. She was quick-witted, expressive, adaptable, never punctual, always interested in people and had a strong desire to learn. Darlene would say she’s “not late”, she’s “fashionably late”. She even said she’d probably be late to her own funeral. She was honest and frank, didn’t mislead you. She was real. She loved others, was self-less, and always put others before herself. She was patient, caring, and adored. Her family would say she was “mother”, “my rock”, “my everything”, “the leader of the pack”, “most special person in the whole world”. She loved her family and being with them.

Darlene was also known as “Mam-Maw” to those close to her. Her girls say “her laugh was infectious”. Mam-Maw also had a green thumb. She loved to garden and tend to plants. She read her bible daily and was grateful for her life here. She was inquisitive and curious. She was fascinated with nature and God’s gifts to us. She felt God made everything for a purpose and she was intrigued to know about something that she didn’t know. When she was introduced to technology, especially “Google”, she was so impressed and fascinated that this “Google” could tell you anything you wanted to know. She even made a list of topics she wanted to Google search.

Darlene was many things to many people. She had one love of her life. She was a loving mother and grandmother, a strong woman, a woman of faith. She will be missed dearly.

On Tuesday, June 10, 2014, Darlene Austin was called Home. She “was met at the big house” by her parents, Gary & Geneva Austin.

Her life will continue to be remembered, honored and celebrated by her daughters: Laurann Traurig of Argyle; Deborah Rosburgh of Arlington; grandchildren: Shelley Allen of Ft. Worth; Jennifer Bothwell of Aubrey; Aaron Traurig of Argyle; great-grandchildren: Michael Riddle of North Richland Hills; Ashley Riddle of Wellston, OK; great-great-grandchild: Callie Matthews of Wellston, OK; her brothers: Robert Lee Austin & Willis Austin; she will be especially missed by “Miss Gretchen” and many more relatives and friends. A special acknowledgement to the Joyce Meyer Ministry.