Darla Deane (Schoenfeld) Jones passed away during the morning hours on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at the age of 85, from influenza A, while living at Clearwater Health and Rehabilitation, in Orofino, since June 2024.
Darla was born in Gillette, Wyo., on May 10, 1939, the only daughter of Edward Schoenfeld and Nellie Rose Eisele. In 1957 Darla graduated from Sir Francis Drake High School in San Rafael, Marin County, Calif., and went on to cosmetology school. While working as a hairdresser, she attended John Roberts Modeling School in San Francisco. In 1963 she moved to Reno, Nev., to be with family and worked as a cocktail waitress at Harrah’s Club for 10 years and modeled for luncheon fashion shows.
While working in Reno, at age 24, she met Dale Snyder — only to move to Kamiah 55 years later to find him the mayor of Kamiah — small world.
Darla then moved to Sacramento and met a group in a Dixieland jazz club and spent the next 15 years dancing to ’20s and ’30s ragtime jazz at music festivals from San Diego to Victoria, B.C.
In 1983, she moved to the San Juan Islands in Washington and spent 10 years tending bar at the American Legion.
When Darla was 50, she met her soulmate, Ernie Ziebell (they do exist). Their dream lasted two years until he passed away from cancer on Dec. 23, 1990. Suddenly their dream was over. She wished they could have danced one more dance or drowned one more worm.
She rejoined her mother and stepfather, Phil Watson, in Portland, and went to work as a bartender at the Eagles Lodge for 12 years.
After her stepfather passed in August 2001, it was time to retire and spend time with her mother, “the Duchess.” They moved to Kamiah in 2004 to join dear friends and fishing buddies, Bill and Sherre Purdy. They made many new friends and it was a joy living in Kamiah and being a part of the Wild Red Hat girls and their Big Hat counterparts.
As many may know, in 2021, Darla lost her mom to COVID-19. The Duchess was her best friend, fishing and pinochle partner. She passed away two months short of 100 years.
Okay — for those of you who might want Darla to fill in the gaps — or not — there were no children; there were five marriages over 60 years, some good, some bad and a few close calls. There were three husbands named Bob (that made life much easier). Bob #3 still called twice a month to do a welfare check after 25 years.
Darla’s full life finally caught up to her — she didn’t run out of dreams, just ran out of time. She was an avid Seattle Seahawks and Mariners fan.
Darla is preceded in death by her mother, Nellie (Eisele) Watson; her father, Edward Schoenfeld; stepfather Phil Watson, half-brother Ronald Bowman and his daughter, Sunni; uncles William Eisele, James Vines and George “Spud” Eisele.
She leaves behind uncles Jean Eisele, of Arizona; Allen Eisele, Nevada, and aunt June (Eisele) Warren, Wyoming; cousins from coast to coast; a nephew, Troy Bowman, Reno; and two half-brothers, Robert Frey, Las Vegas, and Jim Frey, Minnesota.
A huge thank you to Mary and Paul Kirl and family for extended care giving the past three years, and to her guardian angel, Kim Gleason. Also, a special thank you to Jesse and Jennifer and the staff at Clearwater Health and Rehabilitation.
Cremation has taken place and interment will be in Sheridan, Wyo., in the spring.
Darla says “Aloha” from Hawaii as she drives off into the sunset.
