Darlene Mae "Susie" Buhrle

Darlene Mae Murphy Buhrle lost her battle with cancer and passed away peacefully with her family by her side January 6, 2018. Darlene "Susie" Buhrle's American ancestry has been traced back to the pilgrim Edward Doty of the Mayflower that landed in America in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts in December, 1620. Darlene was born on the old Doty homestead in Paradise township, Rooks County Kansas, May 31, 1937 to Forrest E. and Cora Mae (Finch) Murphy. She grew up with her parents in what is now a ghost town, Covert, Kansas. She graduated from Waldo (KS) High School in 1955.

She met and married James L. Buhrle in Russell, Kansas May 4, 1957. Later that year the newlywed couple moved to Topeka. To this union were born three children, Monty, Terri and Barbara. She remained in Topeka throughout her lifetime except for a brief two-year period when the couple lived in Los Angeles, California with their young family. She and her husband loved to travel and visited 45 of the contiguous 48 states, as well as Mexico and Canada.

Darlene worked for the Topeka Public Schools for over 25 years and retired from that career in 1997. Then for another ten years she worked for the Shawnee County Election Office.

She was proceeded in death by two brothers, Darrel in 1953 and Doyle in 1990 and her son Monty in 1997. Survivors include her husband, her two daughters Terri Williams and Barbara Repp of Topeka and two grandchildren Jennika Williams of Topeka and Trevor Buhrle of Paris, TX, her brother Darwin Murphy of Junction City and her sister Dina Conn of Osborne.

A celebration of life will be held at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday January 10, 2018 at Mount Hope Cemetery & Funeral Chapel. Inurnment will follow. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis Cancer Center, 1700 SW 7th St., Topeka Kansas. Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel is assisting with arrangements. To leave a message for the family online, please visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com.