Darrell Boots

            Darrell Dean Boots, 98, Long time Park Rapids resident, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, at the Diamond Willow Assisted Living facility in Park Rapids, where he had been a resident since April of this year.

            Darrell was born on May 30, 1920 in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, to Howard and Bertha (Boots) Boots.  As a young boy, he moved to Hopkinton, Iowa with his family where he attended school for a short time.  He again moved with his family to the Park Rapids area where he finished his schooling. 

            Darrell went into the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp for a short time when he was 16, then worked for the National Youth Administration.  In 1940, he met and married Adele Tomte.  This union was blessed with two children. 

            Darrell worked at various jobs in the Park Rapids area including such jobs as painting, working in several resorts, and managing a turkey farm where he took care of 6,000 turkeys. During World War II, Darrell ran four-hour tests on B-24 bomber engines at Hill Field in Utah.  He then moved back to the Park Rapids area until 1950 when he moved to the Iron Range where he worked cutting pulp, installing furnaces, driving trucks, and working in the iron mines. 

            In 1962, Darrell moved to the Minneapolis area where he was joined in marriage to May Nesbit in 1969.  During his time in Minneapolis, Darrell managed an apartment building while also working at the Northwest Automatic Products Corporation.  He bought a house in Crystal, Minnesota where he and May lived until his retirement in 1982 when they moved and bought a house in Park Rapids.  During Darrell's marriage to May, they both enjoyed camping, fishing, and traveling by car to many of the States as well as to Monterrey, Mexico and various places in Canada.  He was a hard worker and never failed to help others when the opportunity arose.

            He will be lovingly remembered by his son, Harvey, and wife, Connie, of Foley, Alabama; two grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren; as well as many other relatives and friends.

            Darrell was preceded in death by his wife, May in 2008; his son, Larry in 2013; his parents; four brothers and three sisters.

            Memorial services will be held later this spring.

To leave online condolences or to view the tribute video please visit www.jonespearson.com