Audrey Lou Schwartz, age 84 of Darlington passed away peacefully on Jan. 29, 2016, at CrestRidge Memory Care in Dodgeville.
Audrey was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on Feb. 21, 1931, the daughter of Orval & Irma (Stebleton) Bentall. She was raised in Shenandoah, Iowa, and graduated from Shenandoah High School.  She graduated from Northwest Missouri State College with a B.S. in elementary education.  Audrey taught kindergarten for four years in Ames, Iowa, where she met and then married Dr. Ralph Schwartz on June 16, 1957 in Ames.
They moved to Darlington on Dec. 1, 1958.  Audrey thought she was fortunate to be able to help her husband, a veterinarian, with the office in their home, and still be home to raise their four sons, who survive her.  
Audrey enjoyed cooking, often reading cookbooks as though they were novels.  She also liked to discuss politics and to spend time with friends & her family.  She had a ready smile and many stories to tell, especially about her days as a teacher.
She is survived by her sons: John (Mary) of Mt. Horeb; James of Katy, Texas; Joseph (Kathryn) of West Bend; and Jay (Maryna) of Frisco, Texas; six grandchildren, Julianne, Jacqueline, Jessica, Hayden, Hudson, & Holden; nieces & nephews, including Julie (Doug) Smetana of Kansas City, Mo., Barbara Wales of Odenton, Md.; and Joanie (Dan) Jones in Indianapolis, Ind.; and her brother Stanley (Adela) Bentall of New Mexico.  She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Janice Wales; her niece, Marilyn Wales; and her husband Ralph, who died on Jan. 8, 1998.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 at 11:30 A.M. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church (104 E. Harriet St, Darlington) with Rev. John Bosco Pudhota officiating. A visitation will be held Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 from 4:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. at Erickson Funeral Home (508 Main Street, Darlington) and on Friday from 10:30 A.M. until 11:15 A.M. at the church. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.ericksonfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, Audrey’s family plans to use any memorial gifts in her honor to benefit education in Darlington.