Diane Martinez, 74, died July 21st 2018 while traveling in Washington state following a sudden illness.

Mass of Christian Burial for Diane will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon, SD.  Burial will follow in the Greenhill Cemetery at Lemmon.

Born in Portland Oregon to Doyle and Barbara Gossman, she grew up in Lemmon South Dakota. While attending high school in Lemmon, she got an early start in serving others working at the Catholic Leid center nursing home. Among other memories of them causing mischief, Diane's life long friend and cousin Kaye remembers Diane showing her how to make hospital corners that she learned at the nursing home.

Right after nursing school graduation, Diane joined the army and served in Vietnam. Her tour so affected her that she spent the next forty years in VA hospitals looking after "her boys." She retired as head nurse of the oncology unit at the Topeka VA hospital, always looking out for the men and women that served our country.

Dave and Diane were married on August 7th, 1970 in Carrington, North Dakota. They lived in Minot, Fargo, Topeka, and both worked at Air Force bases and VA hospitals in these cities.

Diane's hobbies included VFW, American Legion, Meals on Wheels, Girl Scouts, 4-H, cats and dogs, sewing, and knitting. After Dave's passing, she split time staying with her kids, and her grandchildren will always have the memory of grandma sitting in her chair knitting and complaining about politics.

Diane also loved traveling with her family and friends. From road trips to Chicago or Yellowstone, to family trips to Mazatlan Mexico and Honolulu, Diane love visiting new places, talking with strangers, and sharing the experience with her family.

Diane leaves behind son Jon and daughters Lisa and Vanessa as well as grandchildren Cassandra, Victoria, Brendan, Camille and Morgen, her sister Patricia and brothers Lloyd, Frank, Richard, and Stacy, other cousins, nieces and nephews, Dave's beloved Oreo, and many many friends.