Dianne Cockrell

Due to construction at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, a Funeral Mass for Dianne (Kleemann) Cockrell, will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 29, at the Stevenson Funeral Home in Killdeer.


Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, December 28 with a Rosary being recited at 6:00 p.m. at the Stevenson Funeral. Visitation will continue on Saturday one hour prior to the service at the Stevenson Funeral Home, Killdeer.


Dianne (Kleemann) Cockrell, 52, of Killdeer formerly of Williston, ND, passed away Friday, December 21, 2012 at Hill Top Home of Comfort in Killdeer.


Dianne Marie Cockrell was born June 20, 1960 to Martin and Katherine (Tereschenko) Kleemann in Dickinson, ND. She was raised on the family ranch north of Killdeer, attended grade school at Killdeer Public School and graduated from Killdeer High School and Dickinson State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. She loved her horses and rodeoed all through high school where she competed in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping. She enjoyed competing in speech and performing in drama class plays. While in college, she traveled to England and to Spain on Humanity Tours with the speech department. After college, she taught elementary classes in Williston at St. Joseph’s Elementary School and was a Title I teacher for District 8 for over 20 years. Children were her life. She followed the lives of her former students and was thrilled with every graduation and wedding invitation she received as they grew up. She cherished her children, Mariah and Kalder, though health problems made it difficult for her to care for them in later years. During her illness and after the children moved to New Mexico, they were still in her thoughts daily. This long distance relationship was the most difficult of the trials she endured. After an increase in health problems, Dianne moved to the Kensington Assisted Living Facility. Following a back surgery and the need for more care, she moved into Hilltop Home of Comfort where she enjoyed her final days.


Dianne is survived by her children, Mariah (Sean) Buczek, Apex, NC and Kalder Cockrell, NY; her mother, Katherine Kleemann, Dickinson, ND; brother, Robert (Candyce) Kleemann; sisters, Nancy (Rick) Magee, Sun River, MT; and Kayleen (Steve) Marmon, Dickinson, ND; sister-in-law, Shirley Kleemann Killdeer, ND; and numerous nieces and nephews.


Dianne was preceded in death by her father, Martin Kleemann, and her brother, Dennis Kleemann.


Click to View Program (PDF)


Burial Date: December 29, 2012
Funeral Home Killdeer, ND

Funeral Mass: Saturday, Stevenson Funeral Home, Killdeer, ND