Darlene "Dar" M. Golz
Darlene “Dar” Marie Golz, age 82, passed away Friday, August 8, 2025 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.
Dar was born on February 4, 1943 in North Dakota to Peter and Johanna (Fettig) Wagner. She grew up in Aberdeen, SD. Reinhold Jakober entered her life and married her mother when Dar was 5 years old. As a teen, she helped with building gravel boxes for her stepfather’s construction trucks. In high school, she met and fell in love with the love of her life Dalvin Golz, marrying on October 7, 1962. Together their lives were blessed with the birth of their daughters Debra (Golz) Weber, 1966 and Deann Golz, 1972.
After high school, Dar attended the Aberdeen School of Commerce where she studied business. While there she was crowned Miss School of Commerce. She even got to ride on the float during the Gypsy Day Parade!
Dar began her career with Northwestern Bell Telephone company in Aberdeen, SD in 1967. Her job brought her family to Sioux Falls, SD in 1983. While the company changed names several times, she faithfully served the telephone company for 30 years. After retiring from the telephone company, Dar worked for 9 years at Holy Spirit Catholic Church as a secretary.
In 1974, Dar’s mother married Fred Mutschall, 8 years after Reinhold’s passing. For the second time, she was blessed to have a stepfather that she loved and cherished.
Dar enjoyed many years bowling on bowling leagues, that took her on many adventures and formed good memories. She enjoyed gambling, crocheting, camping, and cooking. She faithfully participated in the life of her church home, Hope Lutheran Church, where she and Dal became members when they moved to Sioux Falls in 1983. She was a part of their visitation team, fellowship host, and participated in Caring Conversations.
Many memories were made when Dar, Dal, and their friends went dancing and played cards until all hours of the night. They also loved camping and making homemade ice cream and Patty Unser’s brownies. As members of the Drift Busters Snowmobile Club, they skillfully drove through snow in northern Minnesota, the Black Hills, and other parts of SD. Motorcycle trips filled their summers after the snow melted, with Dar bravely driving her own cycle.
She loved to travel and was fortunate enough to visit every state west of the Mississippi River and several east. She found absolute joy spending time in the mountains and loved to ride on boats. In addition to the mountainous areas, her favorite places included New York City, Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Niagara Falls.
Dar loved her family and was blessed to share her life with her four grandchildren Alyssa, Tori, Eric and Christopher, and their significant others, including great-grandchild, Lucas. Taking in all their dance recitals, concerts, show choir, baseball, football, track, graduations, and weddings.
Grateful for having shared her life are her husband of 62 years, Dalvin Golz of Sioux Falls; daughters, Debra (Rick) Weber of Aberdeen, SD and Deann Golz of Sacramento, CA; grandchildren, Alyssa (Jared) Mitchell of Arlington, SD, Tori (Aspen) Stirling-Weber of Sioux Falls, SD, Eric Weber of Aberdeen, SD, and Christopher Weber of Aberdeen, SD; great-grandson, Lucas Mitchell; sisters in law, Lavina Nelson and Aileen Kolb both of Aberdeen, SD and Linda (Steve) Black of Great Bend, KS; and many dear relatives and friends.
Darlene was preceded in death by her mother, Johanna; father, Peter Wagner; step father, Reinhold Jakober; and step father, Fred Mutschall.