DiAnna M. Arthur, 76, of Tripoli and formerly of Sumner, died Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at Community Memorial Hospital in Sumner.
Funeral Services will be held 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 15, 2017, at Faith United Church of Christ in Tripoli with Rev. Burt Williams officiating. Interment will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, at Union United Methodist Church of rural Sumner. A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday, August 14th, at Rettig Funeral Home in Tripoli and for one hour preceding services at the church on Tuesday. Memorials may be made to the family to be designated at a later date.
DiAnna Marie daughter of Henry and Anita (Eick) Meier was born August 12, 1940, at the family farm rural, Sumner. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter’s Evangelical and Reformed Church in Fredericksburg. DiAnna received her early education in the country schools rural, Sumner and graduated from Sumner High School in 1958. On July 11, 1959, she was united in marriage with Lonny Arthur in Fredericksburg. DiAnna went on to receive her teaching certificate from Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls. She taught second grade in Cedar Falls prior to the couple moving to the Arthur family farm in the early 1970’s. The couple farmed for many years and following Lonny’s death, which occurred April 27, 1988, she continued to live on the farm for a couple more years. In 1990 DiAnna moved to Tripoli and in February of 1991 starting working at The Larrabee Center in Waverly where she taught and educated people with disabilities. She was a long time member at Union United Methodist Church rural, Sumner until moving to Tripoli where she became a member of Faith United Church of Christ. She was very active at the church, serving on Church Lunch Committees and learning to crotchet, which became one of her hobbies. DiAnna also was a volunteer counselor for people struggling with addiction. She enjoyed meeting for coffee with her high school classmates, her swimming group, going to the river and fishing at the cabin, and most recently going to auctions to socialize. Grandma loved to spend time with her family, and attended every event her grandchildren participated in. She was their biggest fan.
DiAnna is survived by her two children, Annette (Dann) Kime of Waucoma, and Alden (Amy) Arthur of Sumner; four grandchildren, Robin Kime of Readlyn, Justin and Raegan Kime of Waucoma, and Nathan Arthur of Sumner; four sisters, LaVonne Emkes of Waverly, Verla Paulson of Waterloo, Teri Eddards of Bullhead City, Arizona, and Ruth (Ron) Clark of Bemidji, Minnesota; four brothers-in-law, Steve (Sandy) Arthur of Sumner, Mark (Nancy) Arthur of Harpers Ferry, Clark Arthur of Columbia, Missouri, and Richard (Joan) Arthur of Nora Springs; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Ronald and David Meier; and two brothers-in-law, Herman Emkes, and Duane Paulson.
