Viola J. Diers

Viola J. Diers, 103, of 302 2nd Street NE, died Thursday, April 8, 2010 at the Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Monday, April 12, 2010, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Avenue with Rev. James Magelssen officiating. Interment will be in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church. Memorials to Trinity Lutheran Church, Good Shepherd Health Center, or Lutheran World Relief are preferred to flowers.

Great is Thy Faithfulness will be sung at the funeral of Viola J. Diers in celebration of our Mothers profound faith in the trustworthiness of God as shown in Jesus Christ. It has been reflected in her own faithfulness not only to God but also to her family, her church, and her friends. She was born September 1, 1906, in Dubuque County Iowa the daughter of Charles and Bertha (Haselow) Ager. She graduated from Dubuque Senior High School. In 1927, Viola married Hermann Diers, a Lutheran pastor, and they served congregations in Northwood, Greene (Vilmar) 1928-37, Andrew 1937-44, Monticello (Castle Grove) 1944-50 and Titonka (Immanuel) 1950-62. Trinity Lutheran Church brought them to Mason City in 1962. Here she served as her husbands secretary during his 11 years as visitation pastor and two years as assistant chaplain at Good Shepherd Health Center. They shared the joys and sorrows of their congregations (including the Depression and the war years) for more than 60 years before he passed away in 1988. Mothers activity and generosity have been centered at Trinity, where her lively mind and deep devotion were evident in teaching Sunday school an in her active participation in Bible studies. Always, busy, Mother was involved in TLCW, quilting for Lutheran World Relief and in providing food for many occasions at church. She has selflessly served her family as well, at the dinner table, to be sure, but also in her deep interest in every one of us and in her tireless letter writing, which kept her far-flung family in touch with one another. We estimate that she averaged a couple hundred personal letters every year to family and friends.

She will be deeply missed by her four children, Herman (m. Dorothy) Diers of Tacoma, Washington, Dorothea Brauer of Eugene, Oregon, Anna Geske of Ithaca, New York and Arthur Diers of Evanston, Illinois; 13 grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren, and by a host of other relatives and her many friends.

Memorials:
To Trinity Lutheran Church, Good Shepherd Health Center, or Lutheran World Relief.

Cemetery:
Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery

Visitation:
One hour prior to the service

Service:
11:00 AM Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church