On Thursday, July 11, 2019 our beloved wife and mother, Darlene May Estes was called home by her Heavenly Father. Darlene, 83, of Rifle, Colorado passed away from advanced Alzheimer’s that she had been battling courageously for the last 7 years. She had lived exclusively in Rifle, Co. all her living years. Darlene was born in Rifle, Co. on September 21st, 1935 to her parents Ted and Ethel (Stevenson) Peppiatt. She graduated from Rifle High School in 1953, was a basketball cheerleader her junior and senior year and active in Pep Club and band all her years in high school. Darlene was mostly a homemaker raising her 2 sons, but also worked as a grade school assistant librarian at Esma Lewis Elementary School, (RE-2 School District), and Estes Brother’s Mobil station several years as a Bookkeeper. Also, she helped with the bookkeeping of her husband’s snowmobile business back in the 1980s. Her hobbies included bowling in which she taught her son Frank to bowl at age 10. Frank’s bowling team won 2nd place in the State Youth Bowling Association league at Celebrity lanes in Denver when he was only 12 years old in 1967. She also loved flowers and had a beautiful Flower and Rock garden at her home off 300 Whiteriver Avenue in Rifle. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, snowmobiling, fishing, snow skiing, water skiing and camping at Rifle Gap and Flaming Gorge Reservoirs and playing cards. In her later years she was active constructing beautiful stained glass designs.

Darlene was preceded in death by her parents Ted and Ethel Peppiatt, sister Marilyn L Peppiatt, (Miller), brother-in-law Francis Lee Miller and nephew Clark A Miller. She is survived by her husband of over 60 years Jesse Lee Estes, 2 sons, Franklin Estes (Jacqueline), and Doug Estes; nephew Scott Miller (Malinda); nieces, Lori Miller LeFebre and Lynn Miller Johnson. Cremation has taken place and a memorial/interment will take place at Rose Hill Cemetery in Rifle, Colorado at a later date and time. Arrangements are under the care of Rifle Funeral Home.