Darlene Walliker Arnold was born Nov. 14, 1920 to Pearle Jones and Charles Walliker on her grandfather's farm near Monica, Ill. She was the third of five children. The family moved to Princeville, Ill. when she was four, where she remained until she graduated from high school.

In 1932, Darlene won a Peoria County essay contest. The prize was a scholarship to attend a four-year teacher's college. Darlene accelerated her education, graduating from high school at age 16 and Western Illinois Teacher's College at 18. After graduation, she taught for four years at country schools in Illinois.

During WWII, Darlene moved to Washington, D.C. with her sister Helene and best friend Billie. She worked as an administrative assistant to an Admiral for the British Supply Mission and as an auditor for the US Treasury. The women moved to San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, where Darlene met her future husband, Army Lt. Ernest J. Arnold. They were married on Dec. 12, 1947 at St. Michael's Chapel, Fort Bliss, Texas. They lived in El Paso, where their first four children were born. The family moved to Misawa AFB, Japan where the fifth child was born.

After her husband retired from the Army, Darlene and her family moved to Grand Forks, N.D., where she completed a four-year degree in Library Science, graduating Pi Lambda Theta. Her first jobs after graduation were at San Manuel and Tombstone High Schools. She began teaching in Benson in 1965 and later became the elementary school Librarian. She retired in 1985.

Darlene was a deaconess at Community Presbyterian Church, state chaplain for Alpha Delta Kappa, a member of the Arts and Historical Society and Desert Sages, and a published author. She supported Special Olympics, World Wildlife Fund, Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, Forgash House, Benson Food Bank, All The Kings Horses Children's Ranch, American Heart Association, and the Alzheimer's Association.

Darlene died Oct. 14, 2009. She was predeceased by her parents, sisters Ethylene and June, brother Russell, and husband Ernest. She is survived by her five children, John (Debby) Arnold, Judy (Fred) Bernal, Jan (Joe) Hernandez, Jim (Donna) Arnold, and Jane (Daniell) Kipp, 10 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at Community Presbyterian Church Nov. 17, 11:30 a.m. in Benson. Darlene and Ernest will be interred at Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery Nov. 18, 10 a.m. in Sierra Vista. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Darlene's memory to one of the above charities.