Darla Jerome

Darla Kay Jerome, 56, formerly of Walhalla, passed away on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at her home. A Memorial service will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Cavalier Evangelical Free Church in Cavalier, ND.

Darla Kay Jerome was born on October 4th 1969 to Ellen and Abe Toews of Walhalla. She grew up with her older sister Sheila and her older brother James and several cousins who lived close by. She was a tomboy who loved animals and wasn't scared to play in the mud. She was always proving how tough she was by lifting weights with her big brother and protector James and getting teased by her sister Sheila about being picked up under a mailbox. Then her little brother Jon came along and she was so proud to finally be a big Sister!

She went to school in Walhalla, where she met her first husband Alan. Together they had Nikki and Christopher. After their divorce, she met and married the love of her life, Shawn Jerome. They built a home together and had another son, Brady. Her life revolved around her family and friends both in Walhalla and after they moved to Grand Forks. She took great joy in caring for others, which is shown in her work history as a CNA at Pemblier Nursing Center, an EMT-I with the Walhalla Ambulance Service, a Pharmacy tech at the Walhalla Prescription Shop, a medical receptionist at Valley Bone & Joint in Grand Forks, a dispatcher for Pembina County, and finally as a phlebotomist at Altru Health System. Personally, anyone who knew her can attest to her being a caregiver by being a great friend. She was always there to listen, to care, and to help. Some of her favorite things to do were to cuddle babies, especially after they got a bath and Baby Magic'd up, telling people it was her birthday (especially when the band at the Diamond would sing her Happy Birthday), and sitting around the kitchen table chatting over a cup of tea. She was the person you could reach out to when life got too heavy and she would clear her schedule to be there for you. She would give you a safe, comfortable place to recoup until you were ready to face the world again.

She went by many names like Emma, Sis, Running Eagle, Friend, Aunty, Trouble, Maw, but her favorite was Grandma. She was blessed with seven grandchildren Hazel, Logan, Cameron, Eli, Ethan, Keira, Ellena and she was so proud of each of them. She even adopted in many other babies as her grandchildren and love them as if they were her own. Her and Shawn would argue over who was the biggest baby hog but she definitely was! She not only loved up her grandchildren, but her nieces and nephews, cousins, and Godchildren!

After Shawn's death in 2023, Darla was broken hearted. She moved back to Walhalla where she started piecing together a life again. She faced down some of the darkest and hardest times life presented her with the same kindness, caring, and resiliency that she always had. She reconnected with friends and family and herself. She started dating again and found a keeper in Lonnie. After her job as a dispatcher closed, with his encouragement, she moved back to Grand Forks. She took a job as a phlebotomist at Altru, which she loved, until her body just wouldn't let her continue working.

She died suddenly on August 19th, 2026, at the home she and Lonnie shared. She was preceded in death by her parents, Abe and Ellen Toews; Her husband Shawn Jerome; her brother-in-law Chad Jerome; and several cousins. She is survived by her children and grandchildren: Nikki Burt and her children Logan, Cameron, Ethan, and Keira; Christopher Storey and his children Hazel, Eli, and Ellena; Brady and Jackie Jerome; Sister Sheila Forrey and Brothers James Jerome and Jonathan Toews.