Florence Rosella Darling
1914-1994


My mom was a farmer's daughter. She was the 11th of 12 children born in a beautiful old farmhouse in Lancaster, Ohio. Her father's family came to the US around 1850 from Baveria, Germany. Their name was originally something like Direling or Drierling but was Americanized to Darling. In school mom was always called "Darling Rosie". I only have one reference to the original emigrant, Phillip Darling who "came to New Orleans in 1850 and died of yellow fever". There was a yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans and it is probably impossible, at this time, to find record of him. His son, Gottleib drove stage coach for awhile and finally settled into farming in Lancaster, Ohio. In fact, the original Darling farm in Lancaster was a stage coach stop and there are huge kegs and whatnot in the basement walls. Gottleib's son, Edward married Anna Josephine Netuschill, whose parents emigrated from Austria to escape religious persecution. And Anna and Edward were my Mom's parents.

You know how your parents always say things like "I walked three miles to school when I was a child" - usually in response to your asking to be driven two blocks to school??? Some years ago, my mom, my sister and I went back to Lancaster for a family reunion. We were at the farm and then went for a drive. In a little bit mom said - "Oh, that's my grade school". My sister and I looked at each other. "Mom, you walked all the way from the farm to this school". Sometimes your parents aren't exagerating.

Mom and my Dad were....well, I would have to say...an odd couple. She, the farm girl with siblings to spare, and my Dad, a spoiled only child of a spoiled only child.....well, he wasn't full of himself or anything, just raised in an entirely different environment. The marriage lasted over 50 years and there are 6 of us kids. Unfortunately, they also smoked together for 50 years and it did both of them in, Dad in 1983 and Mom in 1994.

The picture of Mom above was taken when she was about 17 or 18. It is a black and white photo but hand colored by Mom herself. I have several that she did and they are quite beautiful. Here is another one, actually my favorite picture of my Mom and Dad. He was a pretty handsome, dude, don't you think? LOL




There is a lot more to the story, of course....but I just wanted to post a little about my Mom since this is Mother's Day and I miss her.

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