of Bryant, AR

January 14, 1934 - February 6, 2026

Darlene Elizabeth Lee (Cain) Lagrone, age 92 ,passed away February 6, 2026. She was a godly woman, a devoted wife, a loving mother and a loyal friend. She was born January 14, 1934, during a raging snowstorm in Longford, Kansas, to William Bennett Cain and Martha Medora (Callahan) Cain. She was raised in Minneapolis, Kansas along with her two older brothers.

After graduating high school, Darlene landed a job doing clerical work at Smoky Hill Air Force Base in Salina, KS. There she met and later married her husband of 70 years, Kenneth Wayne Lagrone. Later, after Ken's honorable discharge from the Air Force and after the birth of their first child, Kenny, the decision was made to relocate to Ken's home state of Arkansas. They lived in Jerome for a while, then McGehee, where their first daughter, Carolyn was born. Darlene continued to be a homemaker and raised their four children, including Jimmy who was born in Meghee and Dianne born in Pine Bluff. Ken's work continued to take them northward to Trumann where they settled while Ken worked for a Company out of Blytheville and Darlene was at home with the children. Later she began working for the family business. She became a columnist and editor of
The Trumann Democrat while Ken served as publisher. Some years later when the newspaper was sold, Darlene served a long time stint as an administrative assistant to the mayor for the City of Trumann. Spreading her wings, she spent a few years doing administrative work at the physical plant of ASU before relocating to the Little Rock area. She and Ken later settled in Bryant where they both worked at Best Printing in Little Rock.

Darlene is preceded in death by her parents, her spouse, and her brothers, William Oliver Cain and James Earle Jenkins.

She is survived by her children, Dr. Kenneth Wayne Lagrone, Jr. (Betsy) of Hot Springs Village, Carolyn Darlene Jackson (Terry) of Maumelle, Dr. James William Lagrone (Becky) of Hot Springs Village and Dianne Elizabeth Doyle (Philip) of Martinsburg, WV.

A public service will be held, 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 10, at Roller - Alcoa Funeral Home in Benton with visitation prior to the service starting at 10:00 a.m. There will be no graveside service.

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