Darlene Tillie Ochsner Cameron, 96, of Huron, SD, died July 22, 2025, at Avera Sacred Heart Majestic Bluffs Nursing Home in Yankton, SD. Three generations of family members filled her room early in the evening to sing "happy 96th birthday" to their Cameron family matriarch.

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Memorial service was held at Kuhler Funeral Home in Huron, Monday, July 28 at 1 PM, with burial to follow in the Prospect Hills Cemetery, Wessington Springs. Her service was live-streamed.

Visitation with family present was held at Kuhler Funeral Home, Sunday, July 27 from 5 to 7 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to the family so that a bench can be made in her honor.

Darlene was born July 21, 1929, in Wessington Springs, South Dakota, to Tillie (Schorzman) and William (Wilhelm) Ochsner. She graduated from Wessington Springs High School in 1947, and she attended Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell for a year and a half until her father's death in a hit and run accident. She returned home to help her mom manage her father's farm properties, and care for her younger brother.

Darlene married Herbert Cameron in 1950. With Herbert's job on the Bell Telephone Company crew, the couple lived in Howard, Mitchell, and Wessington Springs before settling in Huron. They raised four children during their 23 years of marriage.

Darlene was a full-time mother and homemaker until her husband's death. She excelled at cooking and baking with her specialties (baked beans, pecan pie, homemade ice cream, and many Christmas treats). Darlene was also a superb seamstress, sewing shirts and suits for Herbert and school clothes for the children. During many summer vacations to the Black Hills, the west coast and Canada, the family camped and explored numerous National Parks and forests.

With her husband's premature death in 1973, and three children in college and high school, Darlene became the breadwinner for the first time. She started a poodle grooming business part-time and became the bookkeeper for the Huron Telco Credit Union. Later she became the manager of the MO Federal Credit Union until her retirement.

Darlene filled her retirement years with her children and many close friends. She loved traveling with her girlfriends to Hawaii, the Black Hills and Florida, playing bridge, eating out, and attending Red Hat events. In fact, she still had coffee twice a week with her life-long friend Darlene Klinkel.

Grateful for sharing her life are her children: Alison (Keith) Halgerson, Sioux Falls, Jonathan (Mary) Cameron, Yankton and Guy Cameron, Huron. Grandchildren include: Nathan (Beth) Eckhardt and Anna Eckhardt, Grants Pass, Oregon, Angela Cameron, Minneapolis, Abby (Adam) Goeken, Yankton, Spencer (Rachael) Halgerson and Cole (Meredith) Halgerson of Sioux Falls. Great-grandchildren include: Natalie (Hank), Emily, Adelyn, Eden, Jagger, Theodore, Willow, Charles, Beatrice, Louis and Harrison.

Darlene is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Lee Ochsner; her husband; and her oldest daughter, Teresa Eckhardt.

Family and friends who knew Darlene best would agree that no job in life was too big for her to tackle! She proudly said the secret to her long and full life was to face life's countless challenges head on, filled with laughter, humor, and a little wine, cheddar cheese on a Club cracker and a daily dose of sugar or chocolate. A fond farewell to our dear mom and grandmother who we all will miss dearly.

The family extends their warmest gratitude to all the devoted and caring staff and doctors at Majestic Bluffs where Darlene made her home this spring and summer.

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