Darla Mae McLeod, 79, passed away peacefully Friday, February 9, 2018, surrounded by her family at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND.

Darla was born on May 21, 1938 to the late Tom and Genevieve Saagge.

Darla was very adventurous, as she lived in multiple cities including Badger, Roseau, Minneapolis, North Redwood Falls, MN, Los Angeles, CA, Vassar, MB and she finally settled in Thief River Falls, MN.

She married Jackie Kompelien, May 16, 1959 and they were married until his death in 1982. She later married Bill McLeod on October 29, 1986 until his death in 1996.

Darla was known for her strong work ethic and worked many jobs in the food industry. Her favorite job was as a Kitchen Supervisor at REM Home for Disabled Children and Adults.

If you were lucky enough to be a part of Darla's life, your life was changed for the better. Darla loved time with family and friends, reading, singing and playing guitar, gardening, and sharing her knowledge of holistic medicine. Her true passion in life was sharing her faith in Jehovah and always reaching out a helping hand to someone in need. Darla was a life-long student and earned her GED in 1984, and her kids enjoyed teasing her about her Master's Degree from the school of hard knocks.

Darla is survived by her children; daughters Deb (Mike Larson) of Warroad, MN; Ellejae Michieka of Minneapolis, MN; Julie (Dixie Braun) of St. Croix Falls Wi; son Lonnie (Barbara Kompelien) of Minneapolis, MN; six grandchildren, Ian (Melanie), Noah (Rachel), Nelce (Liza), Elliot (Brooke), Nikolai, and Blake (Jillian); her sister Loretta Monsrud; brother Arlyn Saagge (Phyllis); 24 great grandchildren; stepchildren Jimmy McLeod, Patricia Pisony, Susan McLeod; 4 step-grandchildren, Carmie Storey (Chris), Kent Larson (Sindy), Mark Larson (Nikki), and Casey Larson (Tiffinee); many nieces and nephews, and countless wonderful friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Tom and Genevieve Saagge; brother Leroy; sisters Marlys and Judy.

Darla requested no funeral, so in lieu of a funeral, flowers, or memorials, an Act of Kindness to someone in need would be a very fitting tribute to Darla.

The family also welcomes you to share your experiences and stories to honor a one-of-a-kind woman:

Send a card in care of:

Deb Larson 63487 County Road 2 Warroad, MN 56763

https://www.facebook.com/darla.m.mcleod

http://www.johnsonfuneralservice.com

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the team of dedicated doctors and nurses at Altru Hospital, special friends Gary & Lila Dobson, Jehovah's Witnesses Congregation from Thief River Falls, Grand Forks, and East Grand Forks, ND, as well as numerous family and friends.