In Loving Memory of Darlene

Darlene came into our lives just over a year ago when she and her family drove up the driveway to visit the Ranch… the land that she grew up on and rode horses on as a kid! 

Over the coming months she became a part of the “ranch family”… visiting often, bringing truckloads of treats for the horses (quite literally), beautiful handmade jewelry for our volunteers, and photos to treasure that helped us learn the history of the very pasture that she loved. 

It broke our hearts to learn that she was battling terminal cancer. She was always so beautifully put together: her make up was flawless, she was dressed to the 10’s, but all of that was not to be overshadowed by her radiant smile and sweet spirit. Darlene, or Miss Darlene, as we all referred to her as, carried an unmistakable joy that was truly remarkable!

Her favorite horse was undeniably Goliath- our little spit-fire of a horse in a miniature body… and he LOVED his Miss Darlene (the dozens of treats he got to enjoy whenever she came may have helped influence that! Haha!).  We always looked forward to her visiting and her texts when she would share her latest adventures, including her bucket list camping trip and fishing! 

Our hearts are truly broken in knowing that she will not get to walk down to our barn again, or that we will see her smiling face and hear her laugh as she asks her favorite horses to pose for photos and to behave when they get a little too zealous for their anticipated cookies. But we do fully rejoice in knowing she is truly unbound from the ravaging effects of cancer- she is with Jesus and undoubtedly looked more radiant than we could ever imagine when she entered Heaven. 

We love you Miss Darlene, and your memory lives on here, as a cherished and beloved member of our human “herd”. We promise to fulfill your desire to always have an ample supply of cookies for the horses, and we look forward to creating “Miss Darlene’s Mini Paddock” in your memory. We are truly humbled that you wanted to have gifts come to Freedom Reigns Ranch in your memory. We love you dearly!

We will be sharing some cherished memories with Miss Darlene here over the coming days.