Darlene Mae Vanderwaal Stewart

Darlene Mae Vanderwaal Stewart, age 95, of Monroe, Iowa, passed away on December 11, 2025. Visitation will be held at the Grace Alive Church in Prairie City from 1:00 – 2:00 PM, on Wednesday, December 17. The funeral service will begin at 2:00 PM directly after the visitation. Following the funeral a burial will take place at Silent City Cemetery in Monroe, Iowa. Memorials in Darlene’s name may be directed to the Monroe Public Library or the Grace Alive Church. If you cannot attend and wish to send a card, please address it to, “Attn: Darlene Vanderwaal Stewart, Coburn Funeral Home, 24 W Howard St, Colfax, IA 50054.

The daughter of Richard and Ione Postma (Risewick), Darlene was born on May 29, 1930, in Knoxville, Iowa. She graduated from Monroe high school in 1948. Throughout her life she worked on and operated her family’s farm and ran an ice cream/flower shop. She loved many sports, including the softball, baseball, basketball, the Olympics, and most of all the Reasnor fastpitch softball team. Darlene also enjoyed doing crafts and arranging flowers. She took great pride in volunteering at Old Settlers for many years, handing out ribbons.

Those left to honor Darlene’s memory include her children, Randy Vanderwaal and Paula Ross, as well as her great grandkids, Blake Ross, Lily Ross, and Trayton Ross.

Preceding Darlene in death were her parents, Richard and Ione Postma (Risewick); her husbands, Raleigh Vanderwaal and Ralph Stewart; a son-in-law, Bob Ross; a grandson, Nathan Ross; her siblings, Alice (Willard) Kaldenberg, Hubert (Tootie) Postma, and Harold Postma; as well as her father-in-law, Roy Vanderwaal, mother-in-law, Pauline Vanderwaal, stepmother-in-law, Jesse Vanderwaal, and a sister-in-law, Marie Vanderwaal.