Pauline E. Darby

Pauline E. Darby, age 98 years and 4 days, of Washington, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Linn Community Nursing Home.

Visitation was on Tuesday, September 22, from 1 to 7 p.m., with the family present from 5 to 7 at Ward Funeral Home in Washington.

Her funeral was held at the Crossroads Community Church in Washington on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. Burial and graveside service followed in the Washington City Cemetery.  A luncheon was served at the KSDS community building in Washington following the committal service.

Pauline was born on August 23, 1928, at the farm they called “the home place” 7 miles south of Garnett and 2 ½ miles northeast of Welda in Anderson County, Kansas. Her parents were David George Brecheisen, Sr., and Julia Prochazkova Brecheisen. Her mother immigrated to America from Litovany, Moravia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. She sailed on the ship Nieuw Amsterdam out of Rotterdam to Ellis Island, arriving on June 29, 1920. Pauline was the fourth child of six. She attended the one-room Fairview Country School, Welda Grade School, and Welda High School, graduating in 1946. She then spent one year in Washington, D.C., travelling there in June with her sister Ruth and working as a clerk/typist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Credit Administration, until August 1947. During this time, she sang in USO shows and began to go by Paula. She finished her education at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, with an A.B., majoring in music education and graduating in 1951. While there, she was a member of the Phi Mu National Social Sorority, Mu Sigma National Music Sorority, Baker Choir, played string bass in a string ensemble, and portrayed a major character in a production of the Wizard of Oz. Her first teaching job was in Washington, Kansas, teaching grade school music. She later was a substitute teacher but then returned to teaching full time. Paula taught for a total of eleven years in Washington. After this, she worked in the Washington County Treasurer’s Office and at Ditmar’s Jewelry Store.

On May 23, 1952, Paula was united in marriage to W. (Walter) Donald Darby at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington. The couple moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, for a year where Don attended dry cleaning school and Paula taught music in the public school system. They subsequently moved to Washington, D.C., for a year when Don was awarded a scholarship to further his dry cleaning education. Moving back to Washington, Kansas, this union was blessed with a daughter, Paula Dawn. There they owned and operated Darby’s Cleaners until 1961. Don was then a rural mail carrier until 1989 and worked part-time for Dr. Tom Parry building dental appliances.

Paula was steadfast in her faith. She was a member of the Methodist church and enjoyed directing the choir and community cantatas. Later in life, the couple attended Washington Christian Church where Paula sang soprano in the choir and was a member of Coterie, the church’s women’s ministry. She chose to be baptized as an adult in the Jordan River while touring Israel. She was a member of Art Guild, Monday Evening Extension Home Unit, Fidelia Study Club, and the Red Hat Society.

She always enjoyed sharing a cup of coffee with friends as well as golfing on both couples’ and ladies’ nights. She won a ladies’ golf tournament and was very proud of that accomplishment. She also won a blue ribbon at the Washington County Fair for her angel food cake using her mother’s recipe. She began fishing with her family as a child. It became a lifelong hobby that she and Don shared together. She was known for her tasty loaves of bread and loved to share them with the community. She taught private music lessons to many students in the area, including piano, voice, violin, and guitar. She also learned Czechoslovakian egg painting, wheat weaving, and bridge. She loved to knit and gave away many baby afghans. Paula was a traveler. She enjoyed traveling across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and made several trips overseas, including trips to Europe to visit family. She was grateful to say she was a 1986 breast cancer survivor.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband Don Darby in 2003; her infant brother Julius; brother Karl (Virginia) Brecheisen; sister Helen (Robert) Saunders; sister Ruth (Ray) Hoffmeier; nephew Gary Hoffmeier; and brother David (Marilyn) Brecheisen.

Survivors include her daughter Paula and husband Daniel Lydick of Washington, her cousin Rosalyn Brecheisen Kellstadt of Welda, Kansas, Daniel’s Auntie Kay Lydick of Wichita, Kansas, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, Brecheisen relatives in southeast Kansas, Prochazka and Brecheisen family in Europe, and many friends.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in her honor. Contributions may be sent in care of Ward Funeral Home.