Diane Smieja

Diane I. Smieja, age 66 of Burtrum, died unexpectedly on Monday, April 15, 2013 at the CentraCare Health Systems Hospital in Long Prairie, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday, April 19 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grey Eagle with Rev. Ronald Dockendorf officiating. Interment will be in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grey Eagle. Parish prayers will be held at 5 p.m. followed by the Christian Mothers at 7 p.m. Thursday evening at the church.

Diane Isabelle Arnold was born November 21, 1946 in Litchfield, Minnesota to Romauld and Martha (Bensfield) Arnold. Diane graduated from Royalton High School in 1965. On June 18, 1966 she married John Smieja at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Royalton. Diane worked as an assembler at HEI from 1980 through 1990. She then was a care taker at Meridian Services for ten years and at Eagle's Crossing for three years until her retirement.
She was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grey Eagle and the Christian Mothers. Diane loved spending time with her family and playing games with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also enjoyed crafts and was very artistic.

Survivors include her husband, John Smieja of Burtrum; children, Tony (Diane) Smieja of Burtrum, Ken (Lynette) Smieja of Burtrum, Ann Marie (Scott) Denzer of DeGraff, and Julie (Mike) Lambrecht of Burtrum; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and one on the way; many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Diane was preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters, Eugene Arnold, Kenneth Arnold, Elaine Thommes, and Linda Rice.

Serving as casket bearers will be Ken Smieja, Tony Smieja, Austin Smieja, Avery Smieja, Kristen Smieja, and Kaelin Smieja. Honorary bearers will be Ashley Severson, Kiley Smieja, Tyler Smieja, Nathan Lambrecht, Shane Lambrecht, Remmi Jensen, and Cooper Jensen.