Marie Diersen

Marie Diersen, age 91, of Schaller, died peacefully in her home surrounded by family September 25, 2017 Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, September 28, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Schaller. Burial will follow in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Schaller. A rosary will be prayed at 9:30 a.m. Thursday followed by visitation until the beginning of the service. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Schaller is in charge of the arrangements. Marie was born at home in Milford, Iowa March 13, 1926. She was the tenth of twelve children born to John and Mary Veit. She attended Catholic school in Milford until as a teenager she moved with her family to Odebolt, Iowa where she graduated from Odebolt High School. She later met and married her brother Paul’s best friend, Kenneth Diersen of Odebolt. Marie married Kenneth at St. Martin Catholic Church on January 3, 1946. Due to wartime shortages they filled their car trunk with used wagon tires as spares for their wedding trip to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. They lived in a small house on the Herman Diersen family farm until 1953. Ken and Marie then moved to their farm south of Schaller where they lived the rest of their lives. Kenneth and Marie were the loving parents of six children: Philip (Susan Robinson), Zane (Gerda Zonneveld), Paula Kraut, Denise (Monte) Wiese, Diane (Joseph) Schaepe, and Mark (Lori Knopick). They had seventeen grandchildren and thirty-one great grandchildren. Marie loved and enjoyed her husband, children, family and many friends. She was fond of playing cards. Marie was skilled at sewing and quilting and valued the opportunity to teach these skills to family. She was a great cook and enjoyed grocery shopping and trying new recipes. Fishing and traveling with her husband were also a fun part of her life. Marie was a long-time member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Schaller as well as a member of the Rosary Society. Marie was a part of the Pinochle card group with other members of the church. Marie was preceded in death by her parents, husband of sixty-five years, six sisters, Gertrude, Dorothy, Rose Marie, Frances, Florence, Clara, three brothers, infant John, David and Daniel, her daughters-in-law, Gerda and Lori Diersen, and her grandson, Levi Diersen. Marie is survived by her six children, brother, Paul and her sister, Leona.

Marie Diersen

March 13, 1926 - September 25, 2017