Diane R. Behrens

Always telling a story, Diane Behrens had a gift of engaging those around her, making those around her laugh, smile and feel included. She was known as mom, grandma, great grandma, “gram”, and friend.

A few events that occurred in history during 1941 included: New York Yankees won World Series, the breakfast cereal Cheerios, which she loved, was introduced as CheeriOats, the plays Arsenic and Old Lace and Angel Street opened, and in the midst of World War II, there was an attack on Pearl Harbor. Rumor has it that the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor not only shocked the world, but also put her mother into labor. Just two days later, on December 9, 1941, Samuel and Sylvia Irene (Lucas) Rankin were pleased to welcome the birth of Diane Lucas Rankin, in East Orange, New Jersey.

Diane attended Butler High School, Butler, NJ, and graduated with the Class of 1959. She then attended Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA, and Columbia University, New York City, NY, earning her Bachelor’s degree in nursing. She later attended Ball State University, Muncie, earning her Master’s of Arts in Nursing and IPFW, Fort Wayne, earning her Master’s of Education.

On July 29, 1961, Diane and her friend Anne went on a double, blind date. Diane began the evening with Bill, and Anne was with Otto. Together they enjoyed a dinner party in Smoke Rise, New Jersey, and as they were about to leave for NYC for a night on the town, Diane needed to drop her car off, and Otto rode with her. By the time they all met up again, they had each switched dates and hit it off seemingly well. As fate would have it, on December 22, 1962, she married Otto Karl Behrens, Jr. in Butler, NJ. Both couples from the double, blind date married and came to celebrate over 50 years of marriage. Each Saturday, Otto and his daughter, Connie went to the farmer’s market and when he saw pretty flowers, he’d ask her to buy them for his “girlfriend”, Diane. Diane was delighted when after Otto’s passing, the young men in her family stepped up to continue that tradition by blessing Diane with an abundance of flowers to honor the date of Otto’s passing each year. 

In 1965, they moved to Warsaw, IN, moving again to Columbia City, in 1970. At their Columbia City home, Otto, CPA by day, turned farmer at home, kept their barn stocked with sheep, horses, and pigs. Always willing to rescue any animal, Diane put her nursing skills to the test, often bottle-feeding lambs and kittens. In 2017, Diane moved from the home she shared with Otto to spend her final years living with her daughters in Larwill and Columbia City as they joked they had shared custody of their mother. In 2022, Diane moved full time to the lake in Rome City with Cheryl and Jim where she enjoyed the hustle and bustle of all the visitors at the lake, floating in the water, trips on the pontoon for ice cream, and the majestic sunsets. 

Diane worked as a Registered Nurse at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City, NY and St. Joseph Hospital, Fort Wayne. She also taught at Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing, Lutheran College, as an Associate Professor and University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne, as an Assistant Professor. Much to her credit, Diane wrote two chapters for a nursing textbook, two chapters for a medical surgical textbook, and served as a reviewer for the Indiana State Nurses Association Continuing Education Programs. To inspire future nurses, in 2012, Diane established the Diane R. Behrens Nursing Scholarship with the Whitley County Community Foundation for college junior or senior nursing majors. 

In 1996, Diane retired to be a full-time grandmother. Each grandchild has special memories of their grandma, picking them up from school, running in forgotten items, making them grandma’s special grilled cheese, helping with homework, hearing one of grandma’s infamous stories, or cookies and milk while having many heart-to-heart conversations. There were always cookies at Grandma’s house, both regular and Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies for the family to eat when they visited. The debate over red or blue cookies (hard or chewy, not politics) is fiercely debated to this day. Diane also loved taking her family to the Wagon Wheel and it was a tradition for the whole family to go to a show together at least once each summer. 

Diane also used her time to volunteer and serve in many organizations. She was an Emeritus Board Member of Heartland Chamber Chorale, Past Board of Directors of Cedars HOPE of Fort Wayne and Interfaith Missions, Docent at Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, and Kappa Delta Pi and Sigma Theta Tau Honor Societies. She was a former member of Trinity Evangelical Presbyterian Church and had most recently attended First Church of God, both in Columbia City. Attending church whenever possible was always important to Diane, especially when accompanied by her children and grandchildren. At church is also where Diane met her best friends that she would attend bible study with, go out to lunch and other outings, but most importantly they prayed for each other and for each other’s families. 

As the sun rose over Sylvan Lake, with her 4 children by her side, and family visiting in the days prior, Diane R. Behrens, age 82, of Rome City, IN, passed away Sunday, July 28, 2024, at her residence. Her loyal companion, Beau, a rescue dog from New Orleans adopted by Diane in 2016, was faithfully by her side throughout her journey home. She is loved and adored by all who knew her. 

Survivors include her children, Connie (Ron) Raypole of Columbia City, CherylAnn (James) Collett of Rome City, Karl (Tammy) Behrens and Carrie Lynn (Mark) Snyder, both of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Samantha (Bryan) Miller, of Fishers, Courtney (Ryan) Bumbaugh, Carson (Diane) Schrader, both Columbia City, Corinna (Andrew) Armour of New Palestine, IN, Alexandria (Logan) Irwin of Fort Wayne, Kolin Behrens of Hyattsville, Maryland, Kailey (Sam) Wilkinson of Waco, Texas, Kendall Creech of Mapleton, Utah, Colten King of Rome City, Brendan Creech, Adrienne Creech, and Addison Creech, all of Fort Wayne; great-grandchildren, Jackson Smith, Adelyn Smith, Owen Schrader, Wyatt Schrader, Jade Bumbaugh, Brooklyn Bumbaugh, London Bumbaugh, Grayson Irwin, Hudson Irwin, Isabella Creech, Avery Armour, Mia Armour, and Baylor Armour; She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel and Sylvia Irene Rankin and husband of 53 years Otto K. Behrens, Jr.

Friends may call on Sunday, August 4, 2024, from 1:00-5:00 pm at DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City, IN. 

Funeral services for Diane will be held at 11:00 am Monday, August 5, 2024, at the funeral home, with calling one hour prior. 

Private burial will take place in Greenhill Cemetery, Columbia City. 

Memorial contributions in memory of Diane may be made to Heartland Sings or Heart to Heart Hospice. 

Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send family condolences or to sign the online guest register.