Diane Lunde
October 18, 2011

Diane Lee Lunde was born in Mason City, Iowa on October 19, 1946, and passed away in Green Bay, WI, July 12, 2011. She was born to loving parents, Glenn Francis Reinhart and Muriel Blanche (Smith) Reinhart who both preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, Harlan Lunde of Maribel; daughter, Dawn Chavez; son, Aric Lunde of San Antonio, Texas; son-in-law, Gabriel (Rick) Chavez; grandchildren, Alexandra, Ariana and Ian all from Mason City, Iowa; sister, Cathy (Reinhart) Barth, Independence, Iowa; nephew, Matthew (Kaycee) Barth; niece, Makenna Barth, great-niece, Kelsie Barth; all of Independence, Iowa.
Diane was in Girl Scouts, 4-H, band (playing the French horn and Tenor Saxophone), chorus and class plays. From kindergarten through 3rd grade, she never started and finished a grade in the same school due to her fatherÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½s employment changes. The moves from Mason City to Charles City to rural Orchard to rural Rock Falls to Nora Springs did not affect her grades as she remained a good student through college, graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in January, 1972.
Diane married her high school sweetheart, Harlan Lunde, on September 9, 1967, at the United Methodist Church in Nora Springs, Iowa, officiated by Reverend Birchmeier. While they were in Nora Springs Harlan was serving in the Navy on the USS Ranger aircraft carrier. Dawn was born on April 4, 1968 and Aric was born five years later on July 11, 1973. Diane was a ÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½stay at home momÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½ until Aric entered kindergarten.
In October 1979 she started her 29-year career at A.C. Nielsen Company in Mason City, Iowa. Over the years she advanced through multiple supervisory and management roles. In January 1988, she proudly accepted a promotion to help start the first Customer Service Center in NielsenÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½s Green Bay office. For six months the family lived in an apartment in Denmark before settling in their 4-bedroom split-level home in Maribel - just a 20-mile commute to Green Bay.
Like most people living in the Green Bay area, Diane was a Packers fan. She and Harlan attended five home games. Church was an important part of her life and her maternal grandmother, Agnes Smith, was a strong, positive influence in her Christian faith. Diane was baptized at the Methodist Church in Mason City, Iowa and confirmed at the United Methodist Church in Rock Falls, Iowa. While a member of the United Methodist Church, in Nora Springs, Iowa she served as Education Director and was very active in teaching and staffing Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. After moving to Wisconsin she taught Sunday School at Lark Methodist Church. Later membership changed to the Methodist Church in Manitowoc, then on to Green Bay at Bethany United Methodist Church.
Diane and Harlan formed wonderful memories through their travels to Hong Kong (high tea at the Peninsula Hotel); Norway (Lunde family farm and Cutty Sark Tall Ship Parade of Sales); France (Paris and castles in the Loire Valley); Germany (bike ride along the Mosel River lined with vineyards and castles); Austria (Innsbruck and Mirabelle Gardens and Mozart dinner concert in Salzburg); Napa Valley (hot air ballooning); Disney World and Disneyland. They enjoyed reliving those trips through the many beautiful pictures they took. Harlan and Diane also enjoyed music from the 50ÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½s and 60ÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½s, and attended several concerts and dances. The two most memorable were the 50-year anniversary of Buddy HollyÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½s death at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa in January 2009, and a special Doo-Wop concert at the Benedum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania May 2010.
Diane and Harlan thoroughly enjoyed spending a winter week in Mesa, Arizona with Aunt Nadine since 1995. In March of 2011, they purchased a 2 bedroom/2 bath 2002 mobile home in the Lost Dutchman Park in Apache Junction and have decided to sell their home in Wisconsin.
She experienced some difficult medical issues after moving to Green Bay: November 1989 hysterectomy and gall bladder removal; October 1998 breast cancer - surgery and chemotherapy treatments; July 2006 congestive heart failure; November 2010 aggressive colon cancer and abdominal cancer ÃÆ'¢ï¿½ï¿½ surgery, hospitalized for five weeks followed by chemotherapy treatments every two, and then every three weeks. She was extremely grateful for the loving support of family and friends during these difficult times.
Visitation will take place Friday, July 15, 2011 at Lyndahl Funeral Home from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and will continue on Saturday, July 16, at Bethany United Methodist Church, 1110 Echo Lane, from 10:00 a.m. until the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. with the Rev. Randell Richter presiding. Interment will take place in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, Iowa.
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