Darlene peacefully moved on to her eternal home to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday evening. She was married to the love of her life, Fritz for 63 years and leaves behind many beloved friends and family. She was the most gracious person anyone could possibly meet, with always a kind word and a servant’s heart.
Born in Craig, Missouri as Orlea Darlene Vonderschmidt to parents Emmett George Vonderschmidt and Nellie Saloma (Cooper) Vonderschmidt, raised in the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of Craig, graduated from Craig High School in 1955 (Go Hornets!!), and then went to NWMSU in Maryville, graduating in 1959. It was at Northwest Missouri that Darlene met Fritz after his four-year stint in the Navy. They quickly fell in love and married on May 31st, 1959. Still in Maryville while Fritz finished school, Darlene started teaching Business and Home Economics at her first job in Maitland, followed by many years at Topeka teaching night school at Topeka High and teaching at the Topeka Crittenton Home for young women.
She was active in the Junior League of Topeka, as well as a volunteer at church, distributed thousands of Meals on Wheels, and volunteered at St Luke’s Hospital. In 1977 after a move to the Chicago area, she started her career in banking. Once moving back to Kansas City, she began working at Indian Springs Savings & Loan. With the S&L collapse in the 1980’s, she went to work for several years at the FDIC, followed by Brotherhood Bank.
A lifelong Missouri Synod Lutheran, Darlene and Fritz have faithfully attended and served at Hope Lutheran in Shawnee for the past 43 years.
Survived by her husband of 63 years Francis (Fritz) McGinness, daughter Karmen (McGinness) Kennedy and her husband Scott, son Derrick McGinness and his wife Dawn, older sister Geannene Livengood, sister-in-law Marge McGinness, brother-in-law Malcolm McGinness and his wife Janet, grandchildren Cooper Kennedy and Tiffany Andes, Morgan Kennedy, Moriah Kennedy, Melanie McGinness and her husband Irving Alcantara, and Mason McGinness and his wife Megan, and many other nieces and nephews in the McGinness and Livengood families.
We know that Dar, Mom, Grandma/Granny/Grams/G-ma/”The Other Grandma”, Sis, Aunt Dar, Darlene is at peace with the Lord, and will be missed by all. Thank you for your kind words and prayers for her family.
Memorials for Darlene can be made to Hope Lutheran Church, and can be designated to either the school or the church in the Memo line.