Tanis L. Diedrichs

CEDAR FALLS – Tanis Diedrichs, 79, of Cedar Falls, died Monday, February 4th at UPH-Allen Hospital, with her family at her side. Tanis Lee Wolff was born in Sterling, Johnson County, Nebraska on April 16, 1939, the second child of Alvin and Letitia Wolff. Her siblings were Sandra, Charlene, Mary Jane, Robert, JoAnn and John. They attended St John Lutheran Church, south of Sterling. She attended a rural school, Hillsdale, District 66 and graduated from Sterling High School with a Normal Training certificate. During the 1956-57 academic year, she taught at Saunders Creek school, District 11. She married Robert “Bob” Diedrichs, also of Sterling, on June 12, 1957. She worked full-time and was a part time student as they moved from Lincoln to Los Angeles and back. Their daughter, Judy was born in Lincoln on June 28, 1961. Their son, John was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on August 8, 1963. In August 1964, they moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where Bob worked for Doerfer Corporation. Tanis graduated from The University of Northern Iowa on August 2, 1968, with a degree in History. They are members of Nazareth Lutheran Church. In 1982, she provided critical support as Bob began his consulting business. Tanis had many interests. She began using a treadle sewing machine at age 7 and became a talented seamstress. She also enjoyed crocheting, knitting and quilting and was a member of the Keepsake Quilters Guild. She enjoyed working on family history and corresponded with many distant cousins. She became a member of the First Families of Ohio and visited some ancestral lands and current cousins there. She also enjoyed the local Scottish Heritage Society. She was a member of American Association of University Women, the United Sisters chapter of Networking Together Inc. and Black Hawk Gem and Mineral Society. She was an active supporter of human rights and a founding member of “Iowans for a Free Palestine”. Tanis is survived by her husband, Bob; daughter, Judy (Patrick Van Nice) Diedrichs of Des Moines; son, John of Cedar Falls; grandchildren, Gemma and Andrew Van Nice; three sisters, Sandra Wolff of Lincoln, NE, Charlene Nebel of Houston, TX, and JoAnn (Dennis) Trout of Lincoln; two brothers, Robert (Denise) Wolff of Sterling, NE, and John (Joyce) Wolff of Lincoln. She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Mary Jane; and a brother-in-law, Don Nebel. She loved and supported her family. She provided help and encouragement to Bob. She was a devoted mother and enjoyed her grandchildren. She was proud of them all. Services will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday, Feb. 11th at Nazareth Lutheran Church, with burial in Fairview Cemetery, both in Cedar Falls. Visitation from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10th at Richardson Funeral Service and for one hour prior to services at the church. Memorials may be directed to Friends of Sabeel, North America or The Salvation Army.

Tanis L. Diedrichs

April 16, 1939 - February 4, 2019