Darla Jo Culley

After 91 trips around the sun, our mom Darla Culley was called home on July 24th, in time to spend her 75th wedding anniversary with our dad on the 25th. She had been living in Rupert for 24 years.

She was born February 24, 1932 in Teton City, Idaho to Dean Stewart and Josephine (Lund) Stewart Overstreet. She was the first of 6 children.

She grew up helping to care for her younger siblings, and after marriage to our dad, Clyde Culley, she was happy to share farm life with them during frequent visits and loved caring for them.

In time she and dad had four children and she was happy to be a mother. In 1959 she decided to take the Dale Carnegie course that was being offered locally. It really opened up her world and gave her the confidence to try selling Studio Girl Cosmetics.

From there she completed Cosmetology training in Twin Falls, paying for her tuition with her tips. Our dad was always supportive of her efforts and ambition, and we all rallied around to keep things running at home during that time.

Eventually she co-owned three Beauty Colleges, and five Salons. She was asked to be on the Licensing Board for the State of Idaho and was an Examiner at several State Boards for students.

She was still styling hair in her home Salon until about a year ago and at Minidoka Memorial Hospital as a Pink Lady until March of this year! She styled hair for Residents there for over 50 years.

In the early 1970's, she added 'Electrologist' to her many titles, after studying in Arizona. She was asked to write the criteria for licensing in Idaho and taught the first Electrolysis class to students in Idaho.

In the late 1970's she added a new career---Real Estate. For the next 40+ years she sold houses to many area residents. She also bought houses, always seeing their potential, and loved getting them ready to sell. She was flipping houses before it became a 'Thing!

For many years she was a member of the BPW and helped raise money for scholarships for women returning to school.

Once she 'retired' she had more time to camp, fish and hunt which she had always enjoyed. She and dad never missed opening day of deer hunting season for 50 years. She also loved to paint, made close to 300 quilts for family and friends, grew a beautiful garden for many years and stayed active. Oh, and there was that time she went skydiving at 70 years old!

She spent 20 winters in Yuma making quilts, and friends and wonderful memories.

When she was recently diagnosed with cancer, she faced it head-on. Our family had the chance to help with mom's care, the way she had helped so many friends and family members through the years.

It was a blessing for the family to have these last few months with her and she told us that she had done everything she wanted to do in her life, but would have liked to go skydiving one more time!

She is survived by her children, Dan (Judy) Culley, Dena Harkness, Elayna (Brad) Chigbrow, and Devin (Margo) Culley, sister Dallas Mitchell, 3 grandchildren,

21 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren, sister, aunt, Joan (Wes) Miller and many nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clyde and his parents, 2 sisters and 2 brothers, many in-laws, a son-in-law (C.K. Harkness), and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

We would like to thank Rebecca Warnick, FNP-C, and Horizons Hospice staff for their care and concern. A very special thank you to Jilynn Aldridge, mom's granddaughter-in-law and nurse, who lovingly cared for her during her last days and allowed her children and their families to rest easy.

We are very proud of what our mother achieved in her life, and we all appreciate her love and encouragement along the way. We will miss her every day.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations be made to the Minidoka County Senior Center. Mom always appreciated their hard work and good food.

We held her 90th birthday party there last year and they did a wonderful job.

Graveside service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 9th, at the Paul Cemetery, Paul Idaho.With pastor Dan Hendricks officiating.

Following the service, a luncheon will be served at the Minidoka County Senior Center, 702 11th St. Rupert. Arrangements are under the direction of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Darla Jo Culley, please visit our floral store.