Diane Ohlemann

Diane Nora (Runck) OHLEMANN

September 22, 1937 - September 26, 2019

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  3 John 1:4

Diane fell asleep in the Lord on September 26, 2019 surrounded by the loving care of her family.  She now is in paradise with her savior, Jesus, where she awaits the day of resurrection. Diane courageously battled lung cancer since October 2017 after two previous occurrences of breast cancer.  She now has her ultimate victory in Jesus.

Diane was born just minutes before her twin brother Dennis on September 22,1937 to William L. and Nora (Isaksen) Runck at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, MN.  She was baptized October 31,1937 at St. John’s Lutheran Church and grew up loving all things of nature on the family farm in North Star township.  Diane confirmed her Christian faith on May 20, 1951 at St. John’s Lutheran and graduated Springfield High School in 1955.  She attended a national Lutheran youth convention in California after graduation which was so important in her faith life that she spoke of it for the rest of her life.  She lived her life to serve others with love, humility, patience, kindness, hospitality, compassion, and prayer.

Diane married John Carl Ohlemann at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield on August 9, 1958.  He was stationed in the USAF in Belton, Missouri where they made their first home.

Diane will be greatly missed by her husband John of 61 years, three children:  Nora (John) Foster, Clay (Carol) Ohlemann, and Renee (Todd) Messner; nine grandchildren:  William (Colleen), Karl (Nicola) and Arthur (Rachel) Grant,  Sean (Brittney), Erin and Brennen Ohlemann, Andrew (Erin) Messner, Tom (Kendall) Messner, Emily (Zach) Stover; and eight great grandchildren Naomi, Fiona, Elodie and Ian Grant, Charlotte Messner, Piper Penelope and Josie Stover.  Also survived by her beloved brothers Dennis (Nina) Runck and Lowell Runck and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Diane leaves a wonderful legacy of children and grandchildren who continue to walk in the Lord and serve in ministry, as she taught them from an early age. She dearly loved her family and was thrilled to welcome people on each and every visit, listen about their lives and, share her love of God, nature, fishing, watching birds and looking for all types of wildlife. Prayer was a daily discipline and she filled many journals and updated her written lists as her family grew.  She was beautiful inside and out with love of her Savior shining through her actions.  She had the ability to go absolutely anywhere and through conversation discover a relative connection long before any social media ancestry was invented.

John and Diane lived in Gibbon, MN where they raised their family; she was home maker and he spent his career as Executive Vice President of the State Bank of Gibbon.  Later she was a Home Health Aid for Sibley County and she served as Sibley County President of Homemakers group.  She was very involved at Augustana Lutheran Church in women’s ministries, choir, teaching Sunday School, leading Luther league, as a delegate to district conventions and in leadership on committees.

Later, Diane and John joined Zion Lutheran in Sanborn, MN where she served in the choir, and women’s ministry.  She looked forward to serving as a counselor at the annual Jesus Cares Ministries bible camp on Green Lake in Wilmar, MN each fall.

Frequent for years she became regular weekly attendee of Woodbury Lutheran Church after moving to Oakdale, MN in 2015.  She served in the Bible and Friends, Hearts and Hands, and People of Faith ministries, attended women’s retreats and the Women of the Word bible study.   She and John went through Via De Christo weekends in Southern Minnesota, and subsequently served on team for others going through the Christian retreat weekend.

Diane enjoyed nature, fishing and golf.  She especially had a life-long love of being in a boat and on a lake. She played league golf for many years and was modest about her club tournament wins.   She also enjoyed painting and singing in choirs.   Diane supported and cheered on grandchildren in any event including music, sports, theatre and academics through school and colleges.  She and John loved to travel, especially to visit Arizona during the winter.  She and John traveled to Alaska for their 50th wedding anniversary and through the Panama Canal for their 55th anniversary.  She fondly remembered walking the beaches in Florida and Mexico when being with her sister Elaine and visiting Hawaii to be with her brother Dennis.

Visitation at Woodbury Lutheran Church, Friday October 4th at 10am, memorial service at 11am. Visitation at Zion Lutheran Church Saturday October 5th at 11am, memorial service at Noon, with burial of her earthly body to await the resurrection in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery.

Those who have gone before her include her parents William L. and Nora (Isaksen) Runck, sister Elaine Erickson, brothers in law Ronald Olson, Ken Erickson and Raymond Plotz, sisters in law Diane Pearl Runck, and Audrey Plotz.

Memorials preferred to:

Jesus Cares Ministry, WELS, MN District  https://community.tlha.org/stories/bid/402807/Jesus-Shines-his-Light-at-Joy-in-Jesus-Camps

Lakeview Hospital Foundation, Stillwater, MN (Oncology and Hospice programs)

Woodbury Lutheran Church, Woodbury, MN, Disability ministry