Darlene "Eslinger" (Zimmerman) Grimm

Darlene Joy (Eslinger) Grimm, 88, of Hazen, ND passed away on May 2, 2026 at Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen, North Dakota. Services will be held at 10:00 AM CT on Friday, May 8, 2026 at Peace Lutheran Church, Hazen with Pastor Walt Wolff officiating. Burial will follow at Peace Lutheran Cemetery, Hazen.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.

Darlene was born on March 9, 1938 in New Leipzig, North Dakota to Earl and Grace (Shern) Zimmerman, and attended school in both New Leipzig and Carson, and completed a year at Dickinson State College.

Darlene married her high school sweetheart, August Eslinger, Jr, on April 11, 1958. They started their family the following year with the birth of their son, Brian. Two years later, Jeff arrived, and then there were four. Six years after Jeff’s birth, August and Darlene added to their family one last time with the adoption of their daughter, Brenda. 

Darlene took great pride in her role as homemaker and mother. She was an excellent cook, and her family was always well looked after. In 1978, August and Darlene moved to Hazen and started Eslinger’s Hardware Hank. Darlene took an instrumental role in running the store with her family. She eventually retired from working at Hardware Hank long after her family no longer owned the store.

Darlene believed strongly in community service. She was a part of the Happy Homemakers Club, the Lions Club, served her church family on the council and various service groups, as well as the Hazen Hospital Auxillary.

In 2006 Darlene attended a wedding, and ran into an old friend from Carson, Dennis Grimm. They had a good visit, and went their own ways. Shortly after that wedding, Darlene attended an all class reunion in Grant County and ran into the same old friend. Soon after, Darlene’s family began hearing a lot about her friend Dennis. Over the next year Dennis and Darlene became inseparable, and on November 24, 2007 Darlene and Dennis were married in the presence of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. They were affectionately known as, “D and D.”

Darlene was preceded in death by her father Earl Zimmerman, her mother Grace Zimmerman, her first husband August Eslinger, her brothers Edwin (Mabel) Zimmerman, Donald (Marlyn) Zimmerman, and Glen Zimmerman, and her sister Edna Roe.

She is survived by her husband, Dennis; her children Brian (Cindy) Eslinger, Jeff (Kim) Eslinger, and Brenda Eslinger; her grandchildren Leah, Beth, Dan, Emily and Jonah, and great grandchildren Carter, Cade, Lukas, Eliza, Wyatt and Grace, and many nieces, nephews and beloved friends.

Arrangements are conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

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