Darleen Amaryllis (Taylor) Ellingson was 85 when she passed away on June 26, 2023. She was born April 7, 1938 in Minneapolis, MN to Everett A. and Doris C. (McKay) Taylor. Her brother, David, was born two years later in 1940. The family lived in the Groveland area of Minnetonka, MN until World War 2 started. In 1942 Dar’s father took a job with the Army Corp of Engineers working on the Alaska Highway. They moved to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada where she started kindergarten.
They returned to Minnetonka in 1943 where she completed the rest of her schooling. In 1948 her sister, Jane Elizabeth, was born with Down Syndrome. Dar was 10 years old and began doing much of the cooking and cleaning while her parents navigated a new way of life with Jane.
Dar graduated from Minnetonka High School in 1956. She went to St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, graduating in 1960 with a degree in Home Economics. She took a teaching job at Mora High School in Mora, MN. It was here that she met her husband, Tom Ellingson. Their first date was at the Rum River Jamboree football game.
Tom and Dar were married in the backyard of Dar’s Minnetonka home on August 12, 1961. They made their home in Mora with their four children. Dar was known to host gatherings at her home in Mora and her other homes for many different events, campaigns, groups, and holidays. Food was always plentiful and everyone was welcome.
Dar taught at Mora High School until 1967 when she took a job as a Kanabec County Extension Agent until 1973. After that Dar did just about everything. She was a substitute teacher for every grade and any subject. She was a 4-H leader, a Sunday School teacher, and a confirmation teacher. She taught hundreds of kids to sew, cook, and bake. She helped Tom run Ellingson Electric from 1971 to 1994. Dar got her insurance license with Prudential and her brokers license with Century 21.
In 1989 Tom and Dar moved to Minnetonka for work opportunities. She went back to school for her master’s degree in education and graduated from St. Mary’s College in 1990. From 1989 to 1994 she developed and ran a program called Teachers in the Workplace; it started with one school district and one company. In the five years she worked with this program it grew to 25 teachers in 14 school districts. This program was a recipient of the Ashland Oil Business Education Partnership Award in 1992.
In 1994, after many trips and years of dreaming, Tom and Dar moved to Bozeman, MT. Tom and Dar’s family vacations throughout the years were predominantly to Montana to hunt, snowmobile, camp, ski, and explore. It was always a dream of theirs to retire in Montana. Three of their four children, as well as one grandchild, graduated from Montana State University.
Sadly, Tom became ill in 1998 and passed away at the age of 63 in 2001. Dar stayed in Bozeman and truly made it her home. She was an active volunteer for many organizations in Bozeman: CAP, RSVP, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, and the Bozeman Symphony to name a few. She was very active at Hope Lutheran Church and her PEO Chapter BF as well as being a founding member of a new PEO Chapter CJ.
Dar was active at church in Mora and in Bozeman. She sang in the choir and was in the bell choir at both churches. At Hope Lutheran she completed the training to become a Stephen Minister. She loved helping others find ways to navigate life with God’s help. After Tom died, she started a Grief Group with her friend to minister to people during their time of loss. She also started a fun monthly group called Dine Around, where congregation members shared a potluck meal at different houses each time. Dar was the Hope Lutheran administrative assistant from 2007 to 2018.
Her family was her passion. She went to every game, meet, race, concert, recital, and performance she could for her children and her grandchildren, right up to the very end. She was so proud of her family and their passions and accomplishments.
Dar was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Doris; sister, Jane; and her husband, Tom. She is survived by her brother, David (Leah) Taylor of Portland, OR; her sons, James Ellingson (Megan Kalina) of Litchfield, MN, Jack (Holley) Ellingson of Sartell, MN, and Jason Ellingson of Longmont, CO; daughter, Sarah (Brady) Meltzer of Bozeman, MT; grandchildren, Chelsey Herndon, Anika Ellingson, Svea Ellingson, Jacob (Jenny) Ellingson, Nicholas Ellingson, Daniel (Mayra) Ellingson, Elizabeth Meltzer, and Thomas Meltzer; great-grandchildren, Blane Herndon, Finley Ellingson, and Aiden Ellingson; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Services in Bozeman will be Tuesday, July 11 at Hope Lutheran Church; 10:00 A.M. visitation, 11:00 A.M. service and luncheon to follow. Another service will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church in Mora, MN on July 15; 10:00 A.M. visitation, 11:00 A.M. service with luncheon to follow. Her ashes will be buried next to Tom in Oakwood Cemetery in Mora immediately following the service.
Memorials may be made in Dar’s name to the Montana State University Alumni Foundation (msuaf.org) or Bozeman Symphony (bozemansymphony.org).
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
