Carma Diel

Carma Jean (Isley) Diel of Champaign passed away Friday (December 30, 2022) at Amber Glen Alzheimer’s Special Care Center, Urbana. Carma was born to Orville E. and Maud (Trimble) Isley on July 2, 1922, at their home on Liberty Avenue in Newton, Illinois. She is survived by her sons, Al (Gloria) of California, Maryland, Steve (Rita) of Robinson, Illinois, Doug (Jan) of Newton, Illinois, and Brad (Debra) of Champaign. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Stephanie (Brian) Schantz, Greg Diel, Angela Diel, Eve Diel, Kate (Mark) Imhoff, and Jessica (Heath) Hargan along with her great-grand children Riley, Zoey, Nate, Robert, Elizabeth and Joey Dale. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lowell L. Diel, in 1999 and daughter, Jewell (Jody) Luddy, in 2022. She was also preceded in death by her parents and 4 siblings, Orville Glenn, Ruby, Zona Maxine (Max), and Hallie Preston (Hal). Carma graduated from Newton Community High School in 1939. She married Lowell L. Diel on January 27, 1940 and they began their lifelong partnership on the farm they purchased near Gila in Jasper County. After 25 years on the farm and the births of their 5 children, Carma and Lowell chose to move to Champaign County and start their working lives anew. After settling in Savoy and establishing a new household, she began her career with the University of Illinois in 1967. Carma and Lowell moved to Sadorus in 1972, where Lowell had room to raise beef cattle and Carma could establish her extensive flower gardens on their 4 acre mini-farm. Carma retired from the University at age 72 in 1995 after 28 years as a Secretary in the Bureau of Educational Research at the College of Education. They moved to Champaign in 1996. Carma was a faithful, longtime member of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sadorus. She was an active participant in the church choir and loved singing and music in general. She played piano and organ for entertainment at home and occasionally in church as needed. After moving to Champaign she became a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. She had a great love and appreciation for nature and animals throughout her lifetime. She deeply enjoyed cultivating her flower gardens and truly had a green thumb. She was an accomplished seamstress and spent many hours knitting afghans for family. She enjoyed spending time with her immediate family and especially cherished seeing and visiting with her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. She was a thoughtful and caring friend to anyone she met and had an inviting smile she shared naturally. She was a cancer survivor and experienced numerous hardships along with successes during her century on earth. Upon retirement, Carma took on the role of overseeing the health and wellness of her husband and she continued to enjoy maintaining her flower gardens. Carma lived at home after Lowell’s death until she moved, with her daughter Jody, first to Willowbrook in Savoy and finally to Amber Glen in Urbana. Our family is thankful for the care they both received at these facilities. A visitation will be held Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 9:00 am followed by a 10:00 am funeral service at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2102 South Prospect Avenue, Champaign. Christian burial will be held at Gila Lutheran Cemetery, Gila, Illinois at 12:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Carma’s name to the Wildlife Medical Clinic at Illinois through the U of I College of Veterinary Medicine or an organization of the donor’s choice.

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