James A. Diestel, Sr
October 22, 1933 — January 1, 2014
James Arthur Diestel, Sr., 80, of Aberdeen, passed away Wednesday, January 1, 2014, at Aberdeen Health and Rehab.
His funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, January 6, 2014, at Schriver's Memorial Mortuary & Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, with Father J. Joseph Holzhauser, Celebrant. Interment will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Aberdeen. A luncheon and time of fellowship will follow the interment at Schriver's Memorial Fellowship Center.
Visitation, at the mortuary, will be 3-5 p.m., Sunday, and one hour prior to the service on Monday. Friends may sign his online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com.
James Arthur Diestel was born on October 22, 1933, to Arthur A. and Florence M. (Zuhone) Diestel in Creve Coeur, Missouri. He was raised in St. Louis County and graduated from Mercy High School in 1951.
James enlisted in the United States Navy in 1952 and served his country until 1957, when he received his Honorable Discharge.
James was united in marriage to Frances Norton on August 25, 1957. He then returned to St. Louis, MO, where he was employed by McDonnell Douglas Air Craft, (then Sinclair Oil), for many years.
In 1973, James moved to Mansfield, where he was employed with Jobbers Warehouse, Parcel Erickson Oil and Dahme Construction.
James was united in marriage to Jo E. Fontenelle on November 16, 1990. The couple made their home in Aberdeen, where James held a more than twenty-year career with Northwestern Bell Telephone before retiring in July of 1997. He continued to make Aberdeen his home until the time of his death.
Surviving James is his wife, Jo Diestel of Aberdeen; his children: Jeannine Luce of Aberdeen, Pam Estrella of West Covina, CA, Mary Jo (Tom) Potts of Covington, GA, James A. (Shelly) Diestel, Jr. of Ft. Worth, TX, Laurie Komes and Michelle (Chris) Mohr, both of Aberdeen; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Karen (Larry) Hood of Clinton, IA.
James' parents, Arthur and Florence, and one brother, Patrick Diestel, preceded him in death.