Jane Diekemper

Jane Diekemper, age 92, formerly of Carlyle, IL and Doniphan, MO, passed away on Thursday, July 31, 2014 at Meridian Village Care Center in Glen Carbon, IL.
America Jane Leroux Diekemper was born November 11, 1921 near Corning, Arkansas, the daughter of W. Arthur and Mary Anna Eliza (Crook) Leroux.
Jane attended one and/or two room elementery schools in Ripley County, MO- Oak Grove, Torch (Taylor) and Pig Ankle (Sylvan). She graduated from Naylor High School in 1940, Class valedictorian. She was awarded a two year scholarship to Southeast Missouri State Teacher’s College at Cape Girardeau, MO which she then attended and recieved a teaching certificate. Jane then returned to Ripley County to teach one year at Poe School, a one-room school near Oxly.
Since World War II had started she wished to contribute to the war effort. She went to work for the War Department in the Office of Dependency Benefits in Newark, New Jersey. From January 1944 to January 1948 she worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. in the fingerprint department.
After Jane left the F.B.I. she returned to college at Cape Girardeau to get her four year degree. She graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science in Education.
After graduation she returned home to Ripley County where she taught at Taylor (Torch) School. After that building was destroyed by fir, she completed the year and also taught the next year at Sylvan (Pig Ankle) in Ripley County, MO. She then taught at an elementary school in Berkley in St. Louis County and worked as a receptionist and teletype operator at Westinghouse Electric in St. Louis.
Jane married H. Virgil Diekemper in St. Louis on August 31, 1957. As a wife and mother, she worked at home on the dairy farm taking care of the children, house, garden and sometimes milking and calf feeding.
After the passing of her husband on February 8, 1983, Jane moved to Doniphan, MO in 1990 and lived there until September, 2013, when she moved to Meridian Village Care Center in Glen Carbon, IL.
Jane enjoyed spending time with her family, reading, knitting, crocheting, sewing and traveling. She visited Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Alaska and Hawaii as well as most, if not all of the other 48 states. She was very involved with community activities. She was a 4-H leader, a member of the Clinton County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, the Homemaker’s Extension, The First Baptist Church in Carlyle (seving as treasurer, Sunday School teacherand singing in the choir), and was a volunteer at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese and later at the hospitals in Poplar Bluff and Doniphan. While living in Doniphan she was also a member of the Hospital Auxiliary, the Friends of the Library and the Emmanuel Baptist Church where she sang in the choir.
Surviving are her two children: Lorraine (Gene) Hillman of Jerseyville, IL and Edwin (Tammy) Diekemper of Marine, IL; four step children: Karen(Dan) Gross of St. Louis, Richard (Darlene) Diekemper, Charles (Doris) Diekemper and Diane (Robert) Sinclair all of Carlyle; one brother: Dr. Gene (Mary) Leroux of Doniphan, MO; three grandchildren; nine step-grandchildren; one great grandchild; nine step-great-grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law: Marie Anthony of St. Paul, Minnesota and Gertrude Holthaus of Carlyle.
Jane was precedeased by her husband: H. Virgil Diekemper; two sisters: Alta Knowlton and Wilma Stevens; three brothers: James, Garold and Austin Leroux; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Buren Knowlton, Malcolm “Steve” Stevens, Robert Anthony, Vic Holthaus, Reva Moore Leroux, Lydia Mackley Leroux, Ruby Simmons Leroux, Virginia Bell Leroux and Margie and Vincent “Sparky” Johnson.
Funeral services will be Monday, August 4, 2014 at 12 noon at the First Baptist Church in Carlyle with Rev. Randy Miller officiating. The interment will follow at St. Mary Cemetery.
Friends may visit with the family on Sunday at the Frerker Funeral Home from 4 to 7:00 PM or on Monday at the First Baptish Church from 11:00 A.M.until the time of services.
For those wishing to honor Jane with a memorial contribution, the family suggests the Alzheimers Association or the American Cancer Society and those will be received at the Frerker Funeral Home which is serving the family.
Condolences and memories of Jane may be left for the Diekemper family by visiting www.frerkerfuneral.com .