| Graduation Year | Class of 1974 |
| Date of Passing | Aug 02, 2012 |
| About | Fly High Hawk! Diane Rae Krause, 56 Following a courageous 10-month battle with salivary gland cancer, Diane passed away peacefully at home, with family at her side on Aug. 2, 2012. She was born April 3, 1956, in Wenatchee, Wash., to Lawrence and Lou Ann Mietzner. Diane lived in George and Curlew, Wash., until the family of six moved to Rathdrum. In high school she met Ben Krause, and they were married in 1974. They had two daughters, Tamra Rae and Shana Marie. They moved to Blackfoot when the girls were young, and lived there for many years while the girls were growing up. Diane was a stay-at-home mom for a long time and then she became a manager at the Riverside Inn restaurant. Many years later, Ben and Diane divorced and remained friends. Diane met Gary Cotterell in 1992 when they worked at Wada Farms, and later that year she and Gary moved to Rathdrum next to her dad Lawrence. She worked in retail for Bass’ Western Wear and The Emporium. Diane later started her own business cleaning commercial buildings and private homes. She liked gardening, interior decorating and going to the casino. The things she enjoyed most were her family and friends. Diane loved spending time with her two granddaughters, Madison Marie and Rylee Rae. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Lou Ann Mietzner; sister Joyce Blanton; daughter Shana; fiancé Gary Cotterell and brother-in-law Clark Normington. Diane is survived by daughter Tamara George (Mike); granddaughters, Madison and Rylee; and grandson to be due in January 2013, all of Rathdrum; sisters, Sherry LaClaire (Perry) of Portland, Ore., and Rosemary Normington of Rathdrum. She is also survived by numerous, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. The family would like to give a big heartfelt thank you to Hospice of North Idaho, special thank you to Shawna and Lori, as well as her surgeon Dr. Eric Gilbert. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012, at English Funeral Chapel, 1700 N. Spokane St., Post Falls, with a reception to follow in the chapel’s reception room. Please sign Diane’s guest registry and view her online memorial at englishfuneralchapel.com. |
