Darlene Joyce (Hunskaar) Valum

Darlene Joyce (Hunskaar) Valum passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on November 13, 2023. Darlene was very organized, and a few years ago she wrote her own obituary, which follows. Being of sound mind, but unsound body, I have decided to write my own obituary. After all, I know more about me than anyone else does. Here goes! I was a “depression kid” born to Forest Milton Hunskaar and Agnes Camilla (Homme) Hunskaar on January 24, 1928, in St Paul. Minnesota. We lived with my grandmother on a dairy farm in Afton, Minnesota until I was four years old. In 1932, Dad bought a ‘28 Chev and a tent and we moved west to Seattle, Washington On the way to Seattle, I sat in the back seat on cardboard boxes filled with our belongings. I amused myself by looking at pictures in the Sears Roebuck catalog. On the way west we stopped at a farm where Dad worked in the fields and Mom cooked the meals for the farm hands. With $50.00 for a month’s work, we continued to Seattle and stayed with my grandfather a few months. After staying with my grandfather, we lived at the McBreen “cabin camp” for seven years where I walked a mile to attend the four-room Duwamish Grade School. We then bought a house near Boulevard Park with monthly payments of $22.00! As a child I loved riding my bike, and had many adventures on it, including riding 44 miles around Lake Washington in 5th grade. After graduating from Highline High School, I attended Washington State College majoring in Physical Education. My first teaching job was in Battle Ground, Washington. The first person I met was Rolf Valum, another new teacher, whom I married in June 1952. After two years of military service in California, we settled in Bellingham, and continued our teaching careers with me substituting between pregnancies. Our daughter, Janell, who was born in California, was joined by brothers Lane, Thor and Kjell. I taught Physical Education and Health at Shuksan Middle School and Bellingham High School and English at Bellingham High School. After 26 years, I retired and went on to new adventures. From membership in Whatcom County Retired Teachers, Squalicum Yacht Club, Good Sam, to volunteering at St. Joseph Hospital, I enjoyed the many interesting people I met. A highlight of my life was learning to weave which led to friendships with the Gourmet Weavers, Whatcom Weavers and Peace Arch Weavers for 40 plus years. Our family activities included travel and boating in the summer, and skiing in the winter. Boating lasted 40 plus years in the San Juan Islands, Canadian Islands and included two trips to Alaska. During retirement winter was spent on the Oregon Coast, Southwest, Utah and the Midwest in our Motorhome “Buster”. Since Rolf was Norwegian with 50+ cousins in Norway and I being mostly Norwegian, we visited Norway four times, each trip filled with many wonderful memories. I am very proud of my children, Janell (Chet) Baker, Lane (Julie), Thor, (Paulene) and Kjell (Manca) and of their many life accomplishments. I am preceded in death, my husband Rolf and grandson Brian Baker. I am survived by my children and grandchildren, Andrew Baker, Bryce Valum (Tresa), Derek Valum (Melissa), Mackenzie Epperson-Valum, Finn Epperson-Valum, step grandson Isaac Gray, great-granddaughter, Teigen Valum, and step great-grandchildren, Elise Heutink, Case Heutink, and Avery Heutink. I am also survived by cousins, Gerri Simko and Pauline Mayer. My cousin Barb preceded me in death. Because I had no siblings, my cousins “adopted” me as their “sister”. Throughout our lives we remained close and had many get-togethers and wonderful silly times which remain among my most precious memories. In closing, I thank Manca for all her care during my “golden years”. The family will gather for a burial service at the family plot at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Lawrence WA on November 20 at 11:30 a.m.

Darlene Joyce (Hunskaar) Valum

January 24, 1928 - November 13, 2023