Elizabeth Ann (Steele) Diekman, 87, of Lewistown, Montana, passed away July 22, 2023. She was born

on July 19,1936, at Saint Joseph Hospital in Lewistown to Charles Julius and Olive Ann (Henderson)

Steele. The first years of her life were spent on the Alaska Bench, Montana homestead. When the kids

were school age, the family moved to a ranch at Heath, Montana, so the kids could attend school in

Lewistown. She attended elementary, junior high and high school in Lewistown where she was a high

school cheerleader and graduated in 1954 from Fergus County High School.

She started her college career at Montana State University where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi

sorority and swam for the MSU Dolphins synchronized swimming team. She finished college at Eastern

Montana College with a business certificate and later an elementary education degree. After finishing

her business certificate she worked for Standard Oil in Billings, then after completing her degree, she

began a career as an elementary teacher in Billings. After retirement, Liz and Duane returned to the

Lewistown area, building a home on their land near the ranch she grew up on at Heath.

She married Duane Allen Diekman at the family ranch in Lewistown on October 25, 1958. The next year

they moved to Bottineau, North Dakota, where her daughters Natalie Ann and Kimberlie Kae were born.

Soon after Kim's birth they returned to Montana where the winters are warmer and family is closer,

settling in Billings where Duane began teaching science and their son Edward Allen was born.

Liz and Duane spent their summers taking their children on road trips around the US, including a year

spent in Hawaii as Duane worked on a master's degree. Liz and Duane would later go back to Hawaii

with their family to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Liz was raised a farm girl and spent her life working hard and never tiring. She was an avid vegetable and

flower gardener and maintained large gardens at their home in Lewistown. She taught her children to

live and survive off the land, growing and canning all her own food and sewing a lot of her own clothes.

This knowledge was passed on to her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed having her grandchildren

come spend a week in the summers, much as she got to do with her grandmother growing up. During

that time, they would have time to read from grandma and grandpa's "library", pull up a chair or sit on

the counter helping grandma make pies—which always included a mini cinnamon sugar pie with some

of the pie crust. In addition to her delicious pies everyone looked forward to a breakfast of her

homemade sour dough pancakes.

Her home was always filled with music, especially classic country and traditional Hawaiian music, with

The Statler Brothers, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn playing on the radio. Liz also filled her life with

animals, including many loving cats, rambunctious dogs, and a few retired horses. Her home was always

open to an animal in need, even the wildlife found a place there. She found extreme joy in seeing wild

turkeys, deer, and mountain bluebirds making their home on their property.

The thing she didn't love were stick tights, she could spot a stick tight plant a mile away and she spent

many hours of her summer cutting and burning the pesky weed.

Liz was preceded in death by her parents, sister Emma Burleigh, brother Thomas Steele, nephew Scott

Burleigh and son-in-law Rock Gower. She is survived by her husband Duane, daughter Natalie Espeland

(Denny): granddaughters Nichole (Frank) and Bridgette (Jason); great grandchildren Harper, Juliet,

Tanner and Mia. Daughter Kim Gower (Bill Sabel); grandchildren Mollie, Dane (Hailey), Ryan and Kevin;

great granddaughter Violet. Son Ed (Chrissy).

At her request she will be cremated. Her ashes will be spread over the land where she was raised and

loved. Simple Cremation Montana has assisted the family. Remembrances and condolences may be sent to the family at simplecremationmt.com.