IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Darlene
Kremer
May 4, 1937 – October 12, 2025
Obituary
On October 12, 2025, Darlene Agnes Kremer found herself surrounded by loving family and peacefully Heaven bound to be reunited with Merlin, her beloved husband and best friend.
Born to adoring parents on May 4, 1937, she was a lifelong West Bend/Barton resident. She met Merlin when she was only 14 years old and knew at once that he was "her person". She was patient while waiting for him to come to his senses and ask her out. Darlene was 18 and Merlin 21 when they tied the knot.
Darlene's parents lived on Washington Street and had their home reconfigured into a duplex to allow Merlin and Darlene to live in the upper flat and raise their two boys until they had their own home built on Skyline Drive in Barton. Ultimately, they moved out to the 25-acre farm on Good Luck Lane. Here they had a small hobby farm with spirited horses for Bruce and Larry to ride, wooly sheep, at least one helpless lamb that Darlene was elbow deep in helping to deliver in the middle of the night, honking geese, a few steers, loyal collies, and cats, cats, and more cats which kept the grandkids busy.
She and Merlin had his and hers lawn mowers to keep the property looking spiffy. Every summer, they each planted their own morning glory vine and had a contest to see whose would grow the tallest. At the end of the day, they enjoyed relaxing on the porch swing, looking out over their pond, and relishing the peace and quiet of country living.
Salesmanship was in her blood, honed by working at Walker's shoe store and the Shoe Rack and culminating with an impressive career in real estate. She began at the Kepler Agency, moving on to Bowe and Wenninger, then Remax and Shorewest, and eventually starting her own business aptly named Hometown Realty whose motto was "Big or Small, I Sell Them All"! And, indeed she did, earning many, many impressive awards and accolades throughout the years.
She was a loved and admired staple of the community, having touched many people's lives from her long, successful years in real estate. In addition to finding people their perfect homes, she will be remembered for her bold, vivacious spirit, infectious smile, fierce loyalty and strength of will.
Her favorite hobby was playing cards. Seven and a half and Sheepshead being her games of choice. She enjoyed talking smack, betting big, and winning (or losing) a "huge" pot of 75 cents! Trips to the casinos were also a favorite pastime including Sassy Sally's. Her casino wins and losses were rarely discussed – she always just said she "had a lot fun", but we did notice she didn't retire early!
In addition, she loved sun shiny, warm days, Hallmark movies, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, and cheering on the Brewers and the Packers. She was an equal opportunity lover of sweets, especially ice cream. She loved country music, most notably Danny O'Donnell with his dreamy blue eyes. She loved to travel. Some of her more memorable trips included Branson, Las Vegas, an Alaskan cruise, Hawaii, Jamica, and a Caribbean cruise. She loved to decorate all the cards she lovingly sent out with a barrage of colorful stickers. She loved to end a meal out with a decadent Golden Cadillac. And she excelled at making others feel special and loved.
Darlene's nickname was the Dazzler. She was a snazzy dresser and loved bright colors, sequins and sparkles, fancy shoes, knee high multi-colored fashion boots, cowboy boots, and stylish clothes. Her favorite color was red, and she always felt like a million bucks proudly driving her distinctive, eye-catching red Cadillac with its gold grille and trim. Her other favorite car was their flashy white1966 Olds Dynamic 88 convertible. She loved to dance and party, joyfully whooping it up and celebrating with friends and family.
She has touched and enriched the lives of so many people throughout the years. She was a steadfast friend, a loving mother and mother-in-law, a caring grandmother, a doting great grandmother, a supportive Godmother, and an amazing aunt. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.
Those she will join in Heaven include her precious life partner Merlin, her beloved son Bruce, parents Nic and Irene (Koenings) Lahr, and a multitude of deeply loved and treasured friends and family.
Those she leaves behind to cherish her memory include son Larry (Nancy) Kremer, grandsons Bryan (Randi) Kremer and Ben Kremer, granddaughters Mackenzie (Colin) Gliniecki and Mikayla (Kyle) Kautz, great grandchildren Nicholas, Theo, and Hana, as well as many treasured nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers, and in the spirit of Darlene, the family would like to request that you do at least one unexpected act of kindness for someone. The kindness will be way more meaningful to both you and the recipient and last much longer than flowers.
A Celebration of Life for Darlene will be held on October 28,2025 at Phillip Funeral Home, West Bend. Visitation will be from 3:00 P.M.-4:45 P.M. with memorial service starting at 5:00 P.M. with a fellowship meal to follow
Born to adoring parents on May 4, 1937, she was a lifelong West Bend/Barton resident. She met Merlin when she was only 14 years old and knew at once that he was "her person". She was patient while waiting for him to come to his senses and ask her out. Darlene was 18 and Merlin 21 when they tied the knot.
Darlene's parents lived on Washington Street and had their home reconfigured into a duplex to allow Merlin and Darlene to live in the upper flat and raise their two boys until they had their own home built on Skyline Drive in Barton. Ultimately, they moved out to the 25-acre farm on Good Luck Lane. Here they had a small hobby farm with spirited horses for Bruce and Larry to ride, wooly sheep, at least one helpless lamb that Darlene was elbow deep in helping to deliver in the middle of the night, honking geese, a few steers, loyal collies, and cats, cats, and more cats which kept the grandkids busy.
She and Merlin had his and hers lawn mowers to keep the property looking spiffy. Every summer, they each planted their own morning glory vine and had a contest to see whose would grow the tallest. At the end of the day, they enjoyed relaxing on the porch swing, looking out over their pond, and relishing the peace and quiet of country living.
Salesmanship was in her blood, honed by working at Walker's shoe store and the Shoe Rack and culminating with an impressive career in real estate. She began at the Kepler Agency, moving on to Bowe and Wenninger, then Remax and Shorewest, and eventually starting her own business aptly named Hometown Realty whose motto was "Big or Small, I Sell Them All"! And, indeed she did, earning many, many impressive awards and accolades throughout the years.
She was a loved and admired staple of the community, having touched many people's lives from her long, successful years in real estate. In addition to finding people their perfect homes, she will be remembered for her bold, vivacious spirit, infectious smile, fierce loyalty and strength of will.
Her favorite hobby was playing cards. Seven and a half and Sheepshead being her games of choice. She enjoyed talking smack, betting big, and winning (or losing) a "huge" pot of 75 cents! Trips to the casinos were also a favorite pastime including Sassy Sally's. Her casino wins and losses were rarely discussed – she always just said she "had a lot fun", but we did notice she didn't retire early!
In addition, she loved sun shiny, warm days, Hallmark movies, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, and cheering on the Brewers and the Packers. She was an equal opportunity lover of sweets, especially ice cream. She loved country music, most notably Danny O'Donnell with his dreamy blue eyes. She loved to travel. Some of her more memorable trips included Branson, Las Vegas, an Alaskan cruise, Hawaii, Jamica, and a Caribbean cruise. She loved to decorate all the cards she lovingly sent out with a barrage of colorful stickers. She loved to end a meal out with a decadent Golden Cadillac. And she excelled at making others feel special and loved.
Darlene's nickname was the Dazzler. She was a snazzy dresser and loved bright colors, sequins and sparkles, fancy shoes, knee high multi-colored fashion boots, cowboy boots, and stylish clothes. Her favorite color was red, and she always felt like a million bucks proudly driving her distinctive, eye-catching red Cadillac with its gold grille and trim. Her other favorite car was their flashy white1966 Olds Dynamic 88 convertible. She loved to dance and party, joyfully whooping it up and celebrating with friends and family.
She has touched and enriched the lives of so many people throughout the years. She was a steadfast friend, a loving mother and mother-in-law, a caring grandmother, a doting great grandmother, a supportive Godmother, and an amazing aunt. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.
Those she will join in Heaven include her precious life partner Merlin, her beloved son Bruce, parents Nic and Irene (Koenings) Lahr, and a multitude of deeply loved and treasured friends and family.
Those she leaves behind to cherish her memory include son Larry (Nancy) Kremer, grandsons Bryan (Randi) Kremer and Ben Kremer, granddaughters Mackenzie (Colin) Gliniecki and Mikayla (Kyle) Kautz, great grandchildren Nicholas, Theo, and Hana, as well as many treasured nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers, and in the spirit of Darlene, the family would like to request that you do at least one unexpected act of kindness for someone. The kindness will be way more meaningful to both you and the recipient and last much longer than flowers.
A Celebration of Life for Darlene will be held on October 28,2025 at Phillip Funeral Home, West Bend. Visitation will be from 3:00 P.M.-4:45 P.M. with memorial service starting at 5:00 P.M. with a fellowship meal to follow
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Darlene Kremer, please visit our flower store.
Services
Service
October
28
Phillip Funeral Home Chapel
Starts at 5:00 pm
Darlene Kremer's Guestbook
Visits: 28
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