Dianna K. Wilfong

Always loving and warm-spirited, Dianna Wilfong carried her family in the center of her heart. With her wonderful sense of humor she brought joy into the hearts of everyone who knew her. Dianna was the happiest when she was with her family and close friends, and in their company a familiar smile always sat upon her lips.

By the year 1941, the Second World War had spread throughout Europe . After the bombing at Pearl Harbor, the United States joined the war effort, sending thousands of troops to Europe and Japan . During this uncertain time, Paul and Frieda Desgranges maintained their optimistic spirits by looking toward a different future - the future of their family. On May 26, 1941, they welcomed their daughter Dianna into their home in Lake Odessa, Michigan .

The second of three children, Dianna grew up in Lake Odessa with the company of her older sister Paula and her younger sister Ruthie. Dianna and her sisters were raised in a traditional family setting. While their mother tended to the house and looked after the children, their father worked as a supervisor for General Motors and farmed. By growing up on a farm, Dianna developed an early love for animals. She and her sisters took care of two pet lambs, Lambert and Lamby Pie, one duck named Donald, one pig named Petunia, and one black cat named Pinpoint. The family even owned a horse at one point, who the girls had named Tex. Much to their mother's dismay, the girls would often bring their pet animals indoors.

Dianna grew up in a happy household. She and her sisters fought sometimes, occasionally even blackmailing each other over a particular piece of gossip. It was always in good fun though; Dianna remained close to Paula and Ruthie throughout her entire life, regarding her sisters as two of her closest friends. During her childhood, Dianna also spent a lot of time with her cousins, especially David and Kenny. They would often explore Woodland Cemetery , crawling underneath monuments, pretending headstones were horses. Dianna was very close to her cousin Judy, with whose family she would often spend the summers. Uncle Blake loved to pull pranks, especially on his family: he once told Dianna that if she wanted to get rid of her freckles, she need only apply some fresh manure. Every Sunday, Dianna and her family would travel up to Eaton Rapids to visit her grandparents for the afternoon and of course to enjoy a home cooked meal together.

Shortly after graduating from Lake Odessa High School , Dianna began working as a waitress at a restaurant. Like her sisters, she had learned to work at a young age, either by helping her father remove rocks from the fields or by cooking and cleaning alongside her mother. Dianna typically worked the breakfast shift, and she soon began to recognize the regulars. A young man came in for breakfast every now and again; Dianna used to tease him for being a very bad tipper. By chance, she ran into this same man during her vacation in Mount Pleasant, Michigan . His name was Bernie Wilfong. The young couple quickly fell in love. On January 19, 1966, just three short months after they began dating, Dianna and Bernie were married by the Justice of the Peace, forty years ago today, to be exact. That evening, they celebrated at the Elbow Room in Grand Rapids , where they danced to a band called "Me and Them Guys."

Shortly after their marriage, Dianna and Bernie settled in Mattawan, where he was employed by General Motors. It was here that they started their family together. Dianna and Bernie were blessed with four beautiful girls, Carrie, Alyson, Carla, and Nikki. The family grew more quickly than either Dianna or Bernie anticipated. Just six weeks after giving birth to Alyson, Dianna was pregnant again with Carla. Even Nikki was a surprise! In 1972 the family moved once more, settling in Paw Paw where they continue to live today.

Dianna raised her daughters with many of the same traditional values that guided her own upbringing. She devoted herself to her role as a homemaker, and loved her life as a wife and mother. Though Dianna could be strict, she was also very loving. According to her daughters, Dianna had great radar: she always knew what they were up to. If she said, "Wait till your father gets home," then her girls knew that they were in big trouble. Through her words and through her own example, Dianna taught her children the strong moral values that enable a life of dignity and grace.

When all of her girls were in school, Dianna began working for the Paw Paw Public Schools. She started her career supervising the children on the playground, but once they discovered how good she was at cooking, she was reassigned to a kitchen position; and she eventually became the head baker. Dianna loved her job, which she worked for over twenty years until her health forced her retirement. She worked as a cook for the Van Buren Youth Camp for a couple of years as well. Through her work, Dianna touched the lives of many students. The kids loved her, and she enjoyed the part that she played in their lives.

Dianna and Bernie befriended many couples over the years. When they were living in Mattawan, they became good friends with Tommy and Rachel Bourque, who became surrogate grandparents to their girls. After moving to Paw Paw, Dianna quickly became friends with Ellen Kirby. They were the very best of friends, the Lucy and Ethel of Paw Paw: if you saw one, then you knew the other was not far behind. Bill and Bernie also became close friends, and the two families began spending more and more time together. Every summer they would take their campers to the campground, where they would spend the entire season. Camping was one of Dianna and Bernie's favorite pastimes - and they knew the correct way to do it. Even if they weren't at home, the Wilfong family always had a complete meal. There was no "roughing it" when it came to food, and following camper tradition, every night was S'mores night.

In her spare time, Dianna loved to do crafts, especially when she was joined by Ellen. Over the years they made a variety of crafts, many of which sold at local fairs. She would also design many of her Christmas decorations. Dianna enjoyed reading, especially the magazine Country Living, and solving word search and crossword puzzles. She was always curious about the Amish culture, and she would make the trip out to Shipshewana every chance she got. Dianna enjoyed collecting things, especially Longaberger Baskets; she and Bernie even toured the factory where they are made. Each month she would get together with her dinner club, which consisted of women who she knew from work. And of course, Dianna was devoted to preparing lovely meals at home. At five o'clock each night, the family always sat down to dinner together. Her most popular dishes were her lasagna, beef noodles, Swiss steak and pot roast.

As their daughters grew up and formed families of their own, Dianna and Bernie found more time to focus on each other. They took many trips together, their favorites to Grand Ole Opry, Branson, Missouri, and Nashville, Indiana . They also liked to drop into the occasional casino to try their luck. South Haven was one of Dianna's favorite places, where she would often sit watching the waves. During the last several years Dianna and Ellen began attending First Baptist Church of Paw Paw together, where not only did their friendship continue to deepen, but their faith as well.

In recent years Dianna was pleased to see her family grow with the births of several grandchildren. Family was always at the center of Dianna's thoughts. She especially loved Christmas time, when she would shower her children and grandkids with gifts. Her house was full of many happy Christmas memories.

For the last ten days of her life, Dianna was able to return home to be with her family. It was very special for her to be back home, among the people she loved and in the house where they shared so many happy memories. A soft smile sat upon her lips as she quietly slipped away.

Dianna died on January 15, 2006 at her home. Friends may spend time with the Wilfong Family Wednesday from 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00 PM at the Life Story Funeral Homes, 60900 M-40, Paw Paw, 657-3870, where a Celebration of Life Service will be held Thursday 11:00 AM. Interment Woodland Memorial Park in Woodland, MI . She was preceded in death by her parents. Dianna is survived by her husband Bernie, as well as her four daughters: Carrie Kahler of Marcellus, Alyson Higdon, Carla (Joe) Truppa and Nikki Wilfong all of Paw Paw; seven grandchildren; two sisters: Paula (Mervel) Carter of Lake Odessa and Ruthie (Jerry) Benjamin of Saranac; and her best friend, Ellen Kirby of Paw Paw. Please visit Dianna's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a memory, order flowers, or make a memorial contribution to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Heart Center or First Baptist Church of Paw Paw or Borgess-VNA Hospice.