Diane, I am so sorry to hear that you are gone. I know the last few years weren't great but you were always able to keep the spunk that we all came to enjoy during our school years. I know your family will miss your humor and hard work. God bless them during this time.
If my memory is correct, I believe the following incident took place when we were still in elementary school. Diane came to school with a broken arm. She had taken a fall from the elevated diesel tank on her parent's sheep farm. She liked climbing up there. When I visited her at this place we frequently would climb the tank and lie on it. We did this because we liked the smell. It smelled like school buses and we found this to be very pleasant. This particular time Diane was alone when she climbed up and lay down for a good whiff. She evidently took a long, deep whiff because she lost conscienceness, fell off and broke her arm.
I always thought Diane was the quintessential tomboy. To her, trees were made for climbing, fences were made for jumping, haylofts were made for jumping out of, sheep were made for takling, trucks were made for driving at break-neck speeds. I envied her, these skills. When we were playing together, Diane tried to prevent me from feeling awkward. She tried to make things easier for me, to accomodate my clumsiness. Nevertheless, I wished I could do the things she did so gracefully.
Diane's passing saddens me yet I have wonderful memories of her. We were very close friends in elementary school.both of us were short, fast ( as in running) lived on a farm , were athletic and rode the same bus. She lived 2 miles down the road from me. We both played on our 8th grade softball team, exchanging our positions as catcher. We loved track & broad jumping. On Buhler frolic days were were always partners in the gunny sack race, 3-legged race, & competed in the 50 yard dash. I still have the medals we won in highschool for relays & 50 yard dash. She usually got 1st & I won 2nd. She was always a bit faster than I was.
Riding the school bus we had many adventures. She played the snare drun & was always beating her sticks on any metal she could find, or perhaps someone's head. We were both called into the principals office(scarey Mr schellenberger) for pulling a girl's pig tails. Oh how we loved the playground. Both wreck less we enjoyed speed on the merry-go-round & those famously dangerous giant strides. We had secret hiding places around our old school building, so the boys wouldn't catch us. Secretly we always wished they would:) Frank Siemens our janitor was our very best friend & we spent many hrs in his boiler room with the smell of his oily cleaning supplies. He loved to tease us & tell us stories, calling us his two jack rabbits. How we could giggle & carry on.
During her retired years she moved to Wichia. We met for lunch several times & talked for several hrs about the good old days & also about our lives & families. She was a great decorator & her small house was decorated in animal prints of Zebra, leopards, etc. she loved coordinating weddings. She joined the Lorraine Ave Mennonite church & returned to the faith of her youth. We both enjoyed talking about our faith. She must have influenced me quite a bit as I still have frequent dreams about her & several other friends from elementary school. I remember how Ronald Zielke & her were such an inseparable pair. How I loved to sit with Ronnie as we were as honary as could be,giggling our way through class. Diane was great friend. I know many of you have your favorite memories of her. Please share!
I love the memories that have been shared about Diane..just the greatest thoughts. Isn't it interesting that the smell of "petrol" in some form was mentioned by two of you? (I loved that smell in my Dad's clothes.) I did not know her until high school. I always loved Diane's wiry aithletic body...and quick smile.
So sorry to hear about Diane passing. I remember that Diana and Kathy were so welcoming to Judy and I when we first came to Buhler High from Hutch. We became friends right away and had many happy times cheerleading and dating friends etc. A loyal and faithful friend. Our class will miss her. Jean Archer
Nancy Messick (Shaw)
Diane, I am so sorry to hear that you are gone. I know the last few years weren't great but you were always able to keep the spunk that we all came to enjoy during our school years. I know your family will miss your humor and hard work. God bless them during this time.
Anna Stucky (Jones)
If my memory is correct, I believe the following incident took place when we were still in elementary school. Diane came to school with a broken arm. She had taken a fall from the elevated diesel tank on her parent's sheep farm. She liked climbing up there. When I visited her at this place we frequently would climb the tank and lie on it. We did this because we liked the smell. It smelled like school buses and we found this to be very pleasant. This particular time Diane was alone when she climbed up and lay down for a good whiff. She evidently took a long, deep whiff because she lost conscienceness, fell off and broke her arm.
I always thought Diane was the quintessential tomboy. To her, trees were made for climbing, fences were made for jumping, haylofts were made for jumping out of, sheep were made for takling, trucks were made for driving at break-neck speeds. I envied her, these skills. When we were playing together, Diane tried to prevent me from feeling awkward. She tried to make things easier for me, to accomodate my clumsiness. Nevertheless, I wished I could do the things she did so gracefully.
Annie Stucky
Joyce Reiswig (Loewen)
Diane's passing saddens me yet I have wonderful memories of her. We were very close friends in elementary school.both of us were short, fast ( as in running) lived on a farm , were athletic and rode the same bus. She lived 2 miles down the road from me. We both played on our 8th grade softball team, exchanging our positions as catcher. We loved track & broad jumping. On Buhler frolic days were were always partners in the gunny sack race, 3-legged race, & competed in the 50 yard dash. I still have the medals we won in highschool for relays & 50 yard dash. She usually got 1st & I won 2nd. She was always a bit faster than I was.
Riding the school bus we had many adventures. She played the snare drun & was always beating her sticks on any metal she could find, or perhaps someone's head. We were both called into the principals office(scarey Mr schellenberger) for pulling a girl's pig tails. Oh how we loved the playground. Both wreck less we enjoyed speed on the merry-go-round & those famously dangerous giant strides. We had secret hiding places around our old school building, so the boys wouldn't catch us. Secretly we always wished they would:) Frank Siemens our janitor was our very best friend & we spent many hrs in his boiler room with the smell of his oily cleaning supplies. He loved to tease us & tell us stories, calling us his two jack rabbits. How we could giggle & carry on.
During her retired years she moved to Wichia. We met for lunch several times & talked for several hrs about the good old days & also about our lives & families. She was a great decorator & her small house was decorated in animal prints of Zebra, leopards, etc. she loved coordinating weddings. She joined the Lorraine Ave Mennonite church & returned to the faith of her youth. We both enjoyed talking about our faith. She must have influenced me quite a bit as I still have frequent dreams about her & several other friends from elementary school. I remember how Ronald Zielke & her were such an inseparable pair. How I loved to sit with Ronnie as we were as honary as could be,giggling our way through class. Diane was great friend. I know many of you have your favorite memories of her. Please share!
Judy Funderburk (Paschalis)
I love the memories that have been shared about Diane..just the greatest thoughts. Isn't it interesting that the smell of "petrol" in some form was mentioned by two of you? (I loved that smell in my Dad's clothes.) I did not know her until high school. I always loved Diane's wiry aithletic body...and quick smile.
Jean Gisel (Archer)
So sorry to hear about Diane passing. I remember that Diana and Kathy were so welcoming to Judy and I when we first came to Buhler High from Hutch. We became friends right away and had many happy times cheerleading and dating friends etc. A loyal and faithful friend. Our class will miss her. Jean Archer
Judy Piatt (Pearlstein)
It is sad to hear the news about Diane. It's good that she was able to be at the last reunion. I'm grateful to Connie for bringing her.