Born: December 10, 1936. Died March 14, 2022 Dar was born in Grand Meadow, MN to Gilbert and Iva Newkirk and grew up in the Grand Meadow, Stewartville and Rochester area with her five siblings.

She met her future husband, Les McBeain, in a chance encounter when her family stopped at his brother’s gas station. After a five-year courtship, she joined her husband in California where he was stationed in the Air Force. After his enlistment, they settled in Austin, Minnesota to raise their eight children.

Through the years, Dar held several jobs. She worked the night shift at Libby’s in Rochester. She was a teacher’s aide working in the Austin school system. She became a successful Tupperware lady and cherished her long-term friendship with the Janzos. She later prepared taxes at Stoltz Income tax.

She also became deeply involved with her sons’ cub scout program, even becoming a den mother for a time. Here she and Les developed their long friendship with Mel and Ev Culbert.

After her children had grown and Les retired from the railroad, they spent the next couple of years traveling the country in their RV looking for a place to retire. They kept returning to the Red Wing/Lake City area and sold their RV to build a house along the bluffs south of Lake City. They spent the next few years watching deer munch dandelions in the yard and eagles soaring above as they gazed out over Lake Pepin, watching the sailboats.

When Les passed away, Dar sold the house, moved back to Austin, and began working as a receptionist for her son, Terry, in his tax preparation business. She worked there for several years until he sold it and continued working for the new owners.

Dar greatly enjoyed having family gatherings, especially at Easter when she would have someone hide easter eggs all over her yard for the little ones.

She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan and would arrange her schedule around the next televised game and would also watch games in rerun when there were no current games.

Dar was preceded in death by her husband Leslie; her parents, Gilbert and Iva Newkirk (Cogswell); Two brothers-Harvey (Joan) Newkirk and Calvin (Peggy) Newkirk; one sister- Mary Lou Brown; one brother-in-law- Les Hinks; one son-in-law-Ed Flynn, and three great grandchildren- Corylynn Cunanan; Camryn Barnes and Daxtyn Barnes.

She is survived by her eight children: Debra Miller (James); Monticello, IL; Dennis McBeain (Cathy), Medford, WI; Terry McBeain (Christine), Austin; Timothy McBeain (Andrea), Rochester; Thomas McBeain (Tami) Northfield MN, James McBeain (Brenda), Uvalde, TX; Tammy Flynn (Ed), Lakeville, MN; Cindy McBeain, Grand Meadow, MN; One sister- Betty Hinks (Les), Austin, MN; Two sisters-in-law- Joan Newkirk (Harvey) and Peggy Newkirk (Cal); 32 grandchildren and 61 great grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A memorial service will be held on June 18, 2022 at Crane Community Service in Austin.