Diane Suda

Diane Suda, 69, died August 24, 2016, at CHI St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck. Services will be held Monday, August 29, at 9:30 am at Church of Corpus Christi, 1919 N 2nd St., Bismarck, with Fr. Paul Becker as celebrant. The family will greet relatives and friends one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be at the ND Veterans Cemetery, south of Mandan, at 12:00 Noon Monday. Diane was born February 6, 1947, the daughter of Joe and Olga Johnson of Lisbon, ND, where she grew up and attended school graduating with the class of 1965. Following her graduation, she enrolled at Valley City State University graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with minors in English, Phy Ed and Health. In January, 1969, Diane began her teaching career with the Grafton Public School System as a second grade instructor. On August 17, 1974, she married Jerry Suda and the couple continued to make their home in Grafton. Diane interrupted her teaching career when their first child was born choosing to be a stay-at-home Mom until their youngest child entered school. During this time, however, she served as the District’s Adult Basic Education Instructor teaching night classes for adults wanting to earn their high school diploma through the GED Program. She also taught in the Grafton Summer Migrant School Program for over twenty years. After re-entering the teaching profession full-time, Diane was a 7th grade health instructor before becoming a Title 1 reading teacher in the district retiring in the spring of 2005. In July, 2006, Diane and Jerry moved to Bismarck where she was residing until the time of her death. Following her retirement, Diane did substitute teaching and worked part-time for the Bismarck Event Center. She also did volunteer work with the RSVP Plus program in Bismarck and the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation in Medora. Diane is survived by her husband, Jerry, and their four children, Laura (Kurt) Anderson of Bismarck and their three daughters; Julia, Molly and Ava Anderson; Greta (Jon) Schneider of Phoenix, AZ, Rachel Suda, Bismarck, and David (Katie) Suda of Fargo and their two sons, Benjamin and Zachary Suda. She is also survived by her sisters, Marian Tack, Bloomington, MN, Grace (Oscar) Nelson, Moorhead, MN, brother, Curt (Jolaine) Johnson, Lakeville, MN and brother-in-law, Ken Keldsen, Westby, MT; also surviving are brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Frank (Bonnie) Suda, Grafton, Clem Suda, Miles City, MT, Lawrence Suda, Washington D.C., and Loretta (Joel) Tongen, Crookston, MN. Several nieces and nephews also survive. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Joan Keldsen; and brothers, Milton Johnson and Don Johnson; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Frank J. and Antoinette Suda; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Mary Ann and Duane Demers; sister-in-law, Rosalie Suda and sister-in-law, Diann Suda. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Grafton Public School Alumni Association, the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or a charity of the donor’s choice.