Darlene Hickey Eyre was born on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 1928, to Cal Warren Hickey and Vilate Mae Langton Hickey. She was born 8 minutes after her identical twin sister Delores (Maxfield).
Darlene grew up on a ranch in Lonetree. Their dad always called them his little witches. Darlene loved riding horses and took care of the dogey lambs when she was little.
One of her favorite things was to ride the bull rake during haying season. The bull rake was pulled by a team of horses, which pulled her to the top of the haystack and then she would slide down.
She attended the two-room schoolhouse in Lonetree until the seventh grade, when she and Delores went to Mountain View to attend school.
They lived in a cabin near their older sister Joyce. They cooked their food and took care of themselves until their daddy and mom would come and get them on the weekends. Darlene attended the University of Wyoming for a quarter, but then left to go home when her parents were in a car accident.
Darlene married George Robert Eyre on Oct. 15, 1947, in the Salt Lake Temple, where they were sealed for time and all eternity. They had six children: Lynette Bybee, married to Ron Bybee; Charlene Stewart, married to David Stewart; Robert Cal, stillborn; Kirk Eyre and the late Mary Beth; Brad Eyre; and Kristi, married to David Gleaton. They have 31 grandchildren and 75 great-grandchildren.
Darlene loved cooking and sewing and made the best bread in the whole world, according to her grandkids. She was involved as a 4-H leader for 25 years and as a 4-H Uinta County fair superintendent for 28 years. She belonged to the Xadena club for 62 years.
She had many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her favorite was stake Relief Society president. She traveled from Lyman to Rawlins and everywhere in between to visit the different Relief Societies and the sisters. She loved doing this.
She loved her family and rejoiced at each new addition. Darlene traveled many miles to support and watch her children in all of their activities and contests, and she was their biggest fan.
Darlene loved to sew and she made more than 40 quilts for children and grandchildren. She made well over 106 receiving blankets for children and grandchildren as new arrivals came. One year she made tied flannel quilts for each of her grandchildren for Christmas.
She was loving and kind and a great example to her very large posterity. Her family was the joy of her life. She was the heart of our family and she will be greatly missed. We love you, Mom!
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Lyman LDS Stake Center in Urie. A viewing will be held from 1 to 2:15 p.m., prior to the service. Interment will follow at the Lyman City Cemetery.
Online condolences and guestbook at www.crandallfhevanston.com.
