Evelyn M. Diekemper

Evelyn Wedekemper Diekemper died on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, at her apartment in Carlyle, Illinois, surrounded by family the past week.  She was 93 years of age. 

Evelyn was born in the Wedekemper family home in the southwest area of East Fork Township, Clinton County, Illinois, on May 2, 1927, the daughter of Henry C. and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Koehne Wedekemper.  Evelyn had one brother, Clinton W. Wedekemper, who died in the mid 1970’s. 

Evelyn and her brother Clinton attended a nearby one-room grade school named Kansas School in East Fork Township.  She rode the Sanders School Bus from Boulder to attend three years of high school in Sandoval, Illinois.  She rode the same bus to Carlyle for her senior year, graduating in 1944.  Evelyn was employed in the business office of the Moran Shoe Company in Carlyle for about 3 and a half years.  After her father’s death, her family moved to Centralia, where she did clerical work and was secretary to the office manager at the Langenfeld Motor Co. 

Evelyn married Paul M. Diekemper, the son of M.H. and Catherine Diekemper, at St. Mary’s Church in Centralia on November 25, 1948.  Paul’s family lived east of Carlyle on the Curve of U.S. Highway 50.  Evelyn and Paul were married 62 years and were the parents of four children – Rita D. Stoker of St. Louis, Philip E. Diekemper of Naperville, Connie Diekemper of St. Louis, and Richard Diekemper of Peoria.

Because of Paul’s early change in employment after marriage, Evelyn and Paul lived in Centralia, Illinois, Arcola, Illinois, Salem, Illinois where their daughter Rita was born, and Paxton, Illinois where their son Philip was born.  These were adventurous years.  In Arcola, Evelyn did secretarial and bookkeeping for Arcola Foundry.  In Salem, Evelyn worked for The Texas Company as secretary to their district petroleum engineer.  After selling Country Financial Insurance in Paxton, her husband Paul was transferred to Shelbyville, Illinois, where they lived for 45 years and their children, Connie and Richard, were born. In 1970, Evelyn became business manager for the Shelby County Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center, where she worked for 18 years.  She and her husband, Paul, traveled in Europe, Morocco, the Holy Land, Singapore, Thailand, Trinidad, Mexico, and Canada. 

Evelyn, Paul, and Connie moved to Carlyle in 2001.  She attended the Methodist Church Sunday School during her childhood and joined St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Centralia in 1949.  She attended many Catholic and Bible study groups throughout her lifetime and was active in church organizations and funeral dinners. Evelyn was the church organist for many years. 

Survivors include her four children and their families – Rita Stoker, Connie Diekemper, Philip Diekemper and wife Eileen, and Richard Diekemper and wife Mary; a brother-in-law - Robert Diekemper and wife Martha; her grandchildren – Adam Stoker, Brian Stoker and wife Michelle, Daniel Diekemper and wife Emily, Jackelyn Cadard and husband Brad, Kelly Diekemper, and Anna Diekemper; her great grandchildren – Tyler, Hanna, Colin, Brooklyn, Lillian, and Chase; and her nieces and nephews – Gary and Pam Wedekemper, Gene and Deb Wedekemper, Lynn Wedekemper, Mike and Laura Wedekemper, Julie and David Ramsour, Jim and Carol Muehleisen, Mark and Kathy Muehleisen, David and Stephanie Tryba, Elizabeth and Jim Murray, Mary Beth Tryba, John Tryba, Chris Tryba, Lisa and Mark Bickler, Dennis and Tracey Diekemper, Jane and Sean Gillum, and Mary Sue and Dean Harber. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, November 13, 2020, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Carlyle with Fr. George Mauck and Fr. Chuck Tuttle, celebrants. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Carlyle.  Visitation will be held at St. Mary’s Church from 9:00 – 11:00 A.M. prior to the funeral Mass.  The preferred expression of sympathy in Mrs. Diekemper’s memory are memorials to St. Mary’s Church or to St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary.  Memorials will be received at the church or through Zieren Funeral Home, PO Box 276, Carlyle, IL 62231. 

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