Williston, N.D.: Elmer Diedtrich, 85, of Williston, N.D., formerly of Aberdeen, died at the Mercy Medical Center in Williston, N.D., on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1429 N. Dakota St., Aberdeen.
Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Visitation is Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home, with a Masonic service and prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Friends may share memories and condolences with the family at carlsenfh.com and also at fulkersons.com.
Elmer Diedtrich was born March 31, 1927, on the family farm in Glencross to Jacob and Katie (Triechel) Diedtrich. He was raised near Glencross and attended area schools graduating from Bowdle High School. After graduation, Elmer and joined the U.S. Navy. The war ended while he was overseas and, upon his return to the U.S., he re-enlisted and was assigned to Naval Intelligence in Chicago. He served two years and, upon his discharge, returned home. He later joined the National Guard. Elmer was able to fly on the Honor Flight with several other World War II veterans.
On Sept. 1, 1948, Elmer was united in marriage to Delores Geib. The couple moved to Aberdeen, where Elmer attended college. He sold insurance for several years and, after retirement, he and Delores moved to North Dakota to be closer to their family.
He was a devoted member of the brotherhood of Masons and Shrine, also a past potentate. With the help of friends in the Shrine, Cans for Kids became a big part of his life. He never walked by a can without picking it up. He was a member of Life Underwriters. He was the past president of the Mina Lake Sanitary District and was instrumental in the implementation of the water and sewer at Mina Lake. He served as a senator and a representative of the South Dakota Legislature for eight years. In 2000, he was the prime sponsor of the "kuchen bill as their state dessert. He once raced his snowmobile in the Governor's Cup. Elmer made many trips to Canada for hunting and fishing with his good friends. He water skied, snow skied and tried scuba diving. He loved snowmobiling, boating and flying airplanes.
Elmer is survived by his wife, Delores; children: DeLain (Deborah) Diedtrich of Rosemont, Minn., and Melanie (Bruce) Krabseth of Alamo, N.D.; grandchildren: Chavis (Melissa) Diedtrich, Amber Diedtrich, Kayla Krabseth and Kendrich Krabseth; great-grandchildren: Dylan, Liam and Elise Diedtrich and Hayden and McKenna Krabseth; and brother, Gordon (Lorraine) Diedtrich.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, LeNise Diedtrich; sisters: Loretta Davidson, Maria Rossow and Dora Eisenbeisz; and brother, Harvey Diedtrich.