Darliss “Dar” Irene Garrow
PIPESTONE–Darliss “Dar” Irene Garrow was born on June 24, 1943 to Harold and Marjorie (Barker) Evans in Pipestone, Minnesota. Dar grew up on a farm west of Pipestone and had an instant love for horses. She got her first horse when she was 11 years old and enjoyed riding horses for the rest of her life. Dar attended Pipestone High School, graduating in 1961. She continued her education by attending Stewart School of Hairstyling where she graduated in 1963 as a licensed beautician. On December 28, 1963, Dar was united in marriage to the love of her life, Thomas “Tom” Garrow at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Pipestone. Following their marriage, they lived in Marshall, Minnesota and later Dudley, Minnesota where she owned and operated a beauty shop. They moved to Pipestone and lived on the homeplace for a few years before buying a farm near Ruthton, Minnesota in 1976. She worked as a beautician in Tyler, Minnesota for 30 years while running the farm with Tom. She took care of all the farm animals and over the years Dar and Tom raised pigs, cattle, and owned and bred horses. Later in life, she worked at Ruthton Elementary School as a lunch lady for several years. She entered Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Pipestone, Minnesota in November 2024. On November 17, 2025, she moved into the Pipestone County Hospice House where, surrounded by her loving family, she passed away on November 19, 2025, at the age of 82 years.
Dar was a member of St. Dionysius Catholic Church in Tyler where she was on the Council of Catholic Women and volunteered on numerous church committees. She was known as the “Gravy Lady” and always made it for the fall festival at St. Dionysius. Dar was a charter member of the Trailblazers 4-H Club, which is still active today. When she was 17 years old, she was a candidate for Rodeo Queen in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dar went on the Pipestone Wagon Train with her horse and buggy/wagon starting in 1976 and never missed a year. She always had a huge garden and canned mounds of produce. A family favorite is Dar’s tomato soup and it will be made in her memory by those who loved her. She was an excellent cook, and it was always important to her that everyone was well fed. She enjoyed sewing and crafting, loved attending grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s school and sports activities. She also loved taking all her grandchildren on camping trips. She will be remembered as always smiling and loved visiting with everyone! Her family was her biggest joy in life and her faith was very important to her.
Dar is survived by her husband, Tom Garrow of Ruthton; her children, Mike (Joyce) Garrow and Karen (Joel) Minett, both of Ruthton; five grandchildren, Cade (Abbie), Eric (Laura), Kelli (Joel), Kyle (Maggie) and Jason (Morgan); great-grandchildren, Hudson, Jameson, Jack, Colby, Candace, Emery, Easton, Lily, Cash, Cameron, Maverick, Adelynn, Jase, Avery, Jett, Bode, Lila and Baker; her sister, Jean (Richard) Undlin of St. Cloud, Minnesota; sister-in-law, Mary (Rick) Carstensen; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Marjorie; mother and father-in-law, Eleanor and Vincent; sister, Darlene; brother, Merlin (Sonny); brother-in-law, Gordy; sister-in-law, Kathy, and by her great-granddaughter, Donna Ann.