Barbara M Diekman

Barbara Monica Diekman passed away peacefully on August 16, 2025 at her home with her family by her side after a long battle with Alzheimer’s/dementia.

Barb was born on August 12, 1933 in Cheboygan to Edward and Cecelia Gularski. She grew up on her family farm on Indian Trail Rd in Riggsville, the youngest of eight surviving children. Her main job was taking the cattle to pasture in the mornings and bringing them back in the evenings to be milked with her companion, the family collie. 

Barb attended Munro School South through the eighth grade and proceeded on to graduate from Cheboygan High School in 1951. After graduating, she took a job at Cheboygan Lumber Company as their bookkeeper, making $25 a week. She went to work for the State of Michigan at the Department of Social Services in 1965 until her retirement in 1997, with the exception of a brief layoff in 1967 when she worked for the Chevrolet Garage.

Barb loved to travel in her younger years and took many trips with family and friends, including visiting New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. She also made countless trips to visit family downstate throughout her life, as well as trips to Nashville, Delaware and Boston. 

On August 9, 1969, Barb married Paul Diekman at Sacred Heart Church in Riggsville. They made their life together at their family farm where they raised three children, and Barb worked full time while taking care of the household and helping with farm chores and also caring for their special friend and neighbor, Hazel Williams, in her later years, never complaining and always with a smile. 

In 1995, Paul decided he had enough of farm life, so they kept two acres on their favorite piece of orchard property to put up a small house and passed the rest of the farm on to their oldest son, Tom. They enjoyed their time there and it became home. 

Paul passed away December 1, 2010 after a tough battle with Alzheimer’s/dementia. Barb soon became a caretaker again when her brother Abe moved in with her due to his declining health. Being the youngest in the family, the two spent much of their youth together, and they enjoyed being together again until Abe’s death on June 18, 2012. Barb’s grandchildren were her greatest source of joy and she just loved spoiling them. She alway had time to play with them, fix them a snack or take a fun trip to town. She loved reading to them and going for walks with them down her country road. She was affectionately known as Busia by them and all their friends who visited as well.

For the last few years of her life, Barb was lovingly cared for by her children, but most notably her daughter-in-law Deb, who moved into her home to care for her. We are all grateful and blessed she was able to stay in her own home with family in her final years.

Barb was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Cecelia, her husband, Paul, her siblings, Selina, Edward (Cecelia), Grace (Tony) Kortz, Alex “Ollie” (Josephine), Alice (Joseph) Stempky, Alvin “Abe” and a brother-in-law Miroslav “Miles” Zich. She was also preceded in death by her mother-in-law Martha Diekman, sisters-in-law Dorthy Johnston and Helen Diekman and brothers-in-law Joe and Mark Diekman, and her very special, longtime friends, Bell Amyotte and Hazel Williams. She is survived by a sister, Gertrude “Toots” Zich, her children, Tom (Deb) Diekman, Lori (Jeff) Laudenslager and Bob(Kristin) Diekman, grandchildren, Desiree’, Shanel, Serena, Gavin, Hayden, Isaac and Gabrielle, and great-grandchildren Elexis, Cecelia and Willie, as well as a brother-in-law, Jerry Johnston, a sister-in-law Janet Hutson and many wonderful nieces and nephews who truly loved their Aunt Barb.

A funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Riggsville on Friday, August 29th at 11 am with visitation beginning at 10 am. A celebration of life will be held at Nordman-Christian Funeral Home in Cheboygan on Friday, August 29th from 6-8 as well. Donations can be made to McLaren Hospice for the wonderful care they provided to Barb and her family over the past three years, or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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