John E. Dietel, 82, of Hurley,
died unexpectedly Sunday, May 19, 2013, in his home. He was born Dec. 28, 1930, in Prentice, Wis.,
son of the late Arthur and Alice (Jeske) Dietel, attended school in Oma,
and logged for his stepfather at a young age. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea as a
combat infantryman, receiving the Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge,
Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, United Nations Service
Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) and National Defense Service Medal. He
then spent 20 plus years in the Army Reserve, and was activated for one year
during the Cuban Missile Crisis. John logged for Steiger Lumber Co. for several
years, and was employed as a heavy equipment operator on the pipeline for the
R.A. Retzel Co. out of Nebraska, retiring at the age of 50 in 1980. He was a member of the First Presbyterian
Church in Hurley, Hurley American Legion Post 5, and Iron County Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 1580. He loved spending time in the woods and at his cottage
on Pine Lake, and will be dearly missed by his family and
grandchildren. John was married to Gwendolyn M. Wallis on
Oct. 1, 1957, in Pine City, Minn. She survives. Also surviving are three daughters, Kathleen
(Larry) McElvain, Racine, Melinda (Erick) Nasi, Hurley, and Lisa (Kevin) Noll,
Sturtevant; six grandchildren, Capt. Jamie Nasi, U.S. Army, Kurt Nasi, John
Noonan, Austin Noll, Michael Noll, and Samantha Noll; two great-grandchildren,
Axl and Zachary Noonan; two great-great-grandchildren; three sisters, Ethel
Lindblad, Bessemer, Mich., and Delores Leoni and Ruth DaPra, both of Hurley; and
numerous nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, John was predeceased
by two brothers, Earl in infancy, and Fred; and a sister, Mary
LaVerdure. Funeral services will be held Thursday, May
23, at 11 a.m., preceded by visitation at 10 a.m., at the First Presbyterian
Church in Hurley, with the Rev. Don Nickolson officiating. Committal will take place at the church, where
full military honors will be accorded by the combined Hurley American Legion
Post 58 and Iron Co. VFW Post 1580 Honor Guard. Luncheon will follow at the Iron Nugget in
downtown Hurley. Burial will be in the Hurley Cemetery later
this spring. Pallbearers will be Erick, Jamie and Kurt
Nasi, and Kevin, Michael and Austin Noll. McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, Inc., Ironwood,
Mich., is in charge of arrangements, where condolences may be shared online at
mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.