Darlene Midkiff

Theda Darlene Midkiff, peacefully entered her eternal home on Thursday afternoon, September, 28, 2023, in Frisco, Texas at the age of 76 following a battle with brain cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Opal Kowis of Alvin, Texas, and beloved husband, Shermon Midkiff of Georgetown, Texas. She is survived by her daughter, Kelli (Mark) Renfro of Frisco, Texas, her son, Terry Midkiff of Austin, Texas, her dear grandchildren, Makenna Renfro and Mark Renfro, II as well as numerous bonus children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Darlene resided in Lake Charles, Louisiana for nearly four years with her husband, Pete Andrus, before returning to Texas where she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February of 2023.
The only child of Fred and Opal Kowis, Darlene was born in Alvin, Texas on December 12, 1946. She enjoyed a happy childhood in the Houston area, spending summers with friends and cousins, going to the beach or water skiing on Lake Whitney with her aunt and uncle. Darlene had a strong faith as a young Catholic girl and even contemplated becoming a nun, but God had other plans. She met Shermon Midkiff, a country boy from Louisiana and they were married on February 2, 1965 in Houston. She attended beauty school and received her beauticians license at the young age of 18. She enjoyed styling hair, including a few well-known Houstonians, celebrity gossip columnist of the Houston Chronicle, Maxine Mesinger and the wives of NASA astronauts, Walter (Wally) Shirra, Jr and Alan Shepard.
Darlene and Shermon raised their family, residing in Louisiana and North Carolina over the next 18 years before returning to Texas in 1984. In 1986, they moved to the beautiful central Texas hill country where she was employed with the Round Rock ISD for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2014. After caring for her husband until his death, Darlene moved to North Texas in 2018 to be near her daughter and grandchildren.
Darlene was a doer. Besides being a skilled hairdresser, she was gifted creatively. She was an avid gardener, landscaper and interior decorator. She made floral arrangements, was an amazing cook, baker, skilled seamstress, you name it - there was nothing she couldn't do or at least try her hand at. She epitomized the Proverbs 31 woman with a little sass and German fiestiness on the side! But her greatest love was serving the Lord, her family and church community. She loved to host family gatherings and relished visits from her grandchildren where she held treehouse tea parties, baked and decorated cookies, walks in the woods, took them on boat rides with their Papa. She loved being generous with her time and talents. She always seemed to show up with a pot of her famous gumbo in hand. Darlene was a wonderful mother, nana, wife, sister and friend who lived a very present life, always helping friends or family in need. She will be deeply missed and will always hold a place in our hearts.
A viewing and visitation for family and friends will be held at 10AM followed by a funeral service at 11AM on Thursday, October 5th at Ramsey Funeral Home located at 5600 Williams Dr., Georgetown, TX 78633. A light lunch reception there will immediately follow the service and a private burial for family members will take place afterward at Odd Fellows Cemetery located at 1117 E. 7th St., Georgetown, TX 78626.