Darlene Olive Dahlen

Darlene Dahlen, previously from Bloomington, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 11, surrounded by loving family, thoughts, and prayers. She was the heart and soul of the Dahlen family and left us with amazing memories.
Darlene was born to Lucille and Nels Nelson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 3, 1936. She was the oldest of three children (Arlita and Sharene) and had three stepbrothers (Torvid, Reese, and Darold). On October 16, 1954, she married the man who was once their paper boy, Norman Dahlen. They started their life in Bloomington raising their three children: Keith, Craig, and Patty.
Darlene was a hard worker with incredible work ethics. She spent her working years "climbing the ladder" at Wells Fargo (Northwestern National Bank & Norwest). She retired in 1998 to spend more time with her eight grandchildren. She spent countless hours spreading grandma joy to all of them, Nick, Joey, Grace, Brittany, Chase, Arron, Jonny, and Zach. With the recent birth of Theo in 2024, she became a great grandma! She was delighted to hold a precious baby again! She absolutely loved holidays and spending time with family making food and memories. With Christmas being her favorite, she showered everyone with gifts galore.
Her family will always remember how she loved making people laugh, she was always available to help, and the love she showed everyone was felt day in and day out. We will miss her dearly and the phone calls we would receive announcing any dangerous weather event. She always wanted her family home and safe.
Darlene is survived by her children Keith (Kim) Dahlen of Eagan, Craig (Laura) Dahlen of Lakeville, Patty (Chris) Selchow of Apple Valley; eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Norman Dahlen.
The family would like to share a heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nursing staff and caregivers at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville. Their gentle, kind, and compassionate care made her remaining days peaceful and comfortable.
Visitation is Thursday, June 19, at 1:00PM followed by service at 2:00PM at Washburn-McReavy Dawn Valley Chapel, 9940 Bush Lake Road, Bloomington, MN 55438. www.Washburn-McReavy.com
Dawn Valley Chapel 952-941-7686