Daren George Whisman passed away on Sunday, February 11, 2018 at Rooks County Health Center in Plainville, Kansas at the age of 58. He was born on August 28, 1959 in Hays, Kansas to George and Berdena (Veatch) Whisman. He grew up in rural Rooks County, Kansas and graduated from Palco High School with the Class of 1977. On May 24, 1986 he was united in marriage to Leola Blanton in Torrington, Wyoming. They were blessed with three sons, Greggory, Geoffrey, and Galen.

Daren worked as a farmer, rancher, and truck driver. He served for eight years on both the Palco-Damar-Zurich Recreation Commission and the Palco USD 269 School Board, with two of those years as President of the Board. He was also a past member of the Church of the Nazarene in Palco. He was a lover of music, especially 1970’s rock classics and groups and anything that would be considered “old country”. He played trumpet, guitar, and piano and enjoyed singing, having even been a part of the Show Choir in High School. But one of his favorite pastimes of all was shooting hoops or playing football with his boys.

Daren is survived by his wife Leola Whisman of the home in Palco; sons Greggory Whisman of Palco, Geoffrey Whisman and wife Cammie of Victoria, and Galen Whisman of Palco; mother Berdena Whisman of Palco; sisters Carol Whisman of Palco, and Nancy Beyea of Walden, CO; and granddaughter Jayme Jo Whisman.

He was preceded in death by his father George Whisman; and grandparents Harry and Edith Whisman, and Cletus and Lucy Veatch.

The artist Sting said, “If you play music with passion and love and honesty, then it will nourish your soul, heal your wounds and make your life worth living.” Daren was a man who lived every day of his life with just such a heart, and he continually poured it out on his family, friends, and neighbors. His passion nourished our souls, his love healed our wounds, and his honesty made our lives worth living with him.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30am on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at the United Methodist Church in Palco. Burial will follow in the Pleasant View Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2:00-8:00pm on Wednesday at the funeral home with family receiving friends from 6:00-8:00pm.