Diane M. Virchow-Bunker

DATE OF DEATH HAS BEEN CHANGED TO KEEP SERVICE CURRENT
Diane Virchow-Bunker, age 56, of Lake Preston, SD, passed away on July 10th, 2024, peacefully at her home after recently struggling with serious health issues. Funeral services will be Monday, July 29, 2024 at North Preston Lutheran at 2PM. Visitation will be at the North Preston Lutheran Church on Sunday, July 28, 2024 from 5-7 PM. The service will be recorded via the Crawford-Osthus website and uploaded within 24 hours.
Inurnment will be at a later date.
Diane Marie was born on June 8, 1968, to Norman and Verla (Rothchild) Gutzmer, she grew up and graduated from Lake Preston High School in 1986. And attended Northern State University, in Aberdeen, SD where she took generals and started to study psychology. While at NSU, she was also involved in the ROTC program. She eventually made her way back to Lake Preston.
Diane married Frank Virchow of Lake Preston in 1988, and the couple had two daughters, Paige & Brooke. They lived near Lake Preston, working in insurance. She later moved to Lake Preston and ran her own insurance business for many years. A few years later, Diane married James Bunker of Arlington, and of this marriage they had a daughter, BreyAnna. Along with her love for being a mother, she enjoyed gardening, she had a passion for art and writing, and she had a love for Jesus. Her love for art included painting, sketching, sculpting, and bronzes; she also kept in touch with local artists and enjoyed getting donations for events including Prairie Lakes Pheasant Banquet and Wildlife Festival. Years ago, Diane really liked to hunt and to host friends who came to enjoy South Dakota falls during hunting season. On that note, she would joke she was the "hostess of the mostest", but she truly was. Whether it was having the Gutzmer Christmas celebration until our family outgrew her house or having a huge party at the Lake Poinsett cabin over Memorial Day or 4th of July. She loved the annual reunion over the 4th of July at the Gutzmer family farm outside of Woonsocket, South Dakota; Diane was known to show up with her excursion full of food, drinks, and usually some games or activities for the kids. Many would agree, if you ever had Diane's bagel dip or stuffed mushrooms, you were looking forward to them making the spread at any event.
Diane will be remembered for her huge heart of gold; she would literally take her shirt off her back if she felt someone else needed it more. She truly would do anything for anyone. She did many volunteer projects over the years, including service projects, mission trips, helping with Sunday School and LYO and Vacation Bible School. She also was very proud to be a prayer counselor at LIFELIGHT Festival for several years. She was passionate about putting together care packages and sending them overseas to military personal and also making up grocery baskets to deliver to her elderly friends around Lake Preston. She truly loved helping others. Diane faced many challengers over the years as she battled bipolar disorder, but no matter what, she was a survivor who fought to recover. Her inner strength and generous spirit will be greatly missed.
Diane is survived by her daughters, Paige (Greg Schmuck) Virchow, of Lake Preston, SD; Brooke (Dakota) Tschetter, of Yale, SD, and BreyAnna (Malik Herman) Bunker, of Sioux Falls, SD; siblings DeAndria Gutzmer, Dwight Gutzmer, Dean Gutzmer, David (Jana) Gutzmer, Donna (Terry) Williams, Becky (Ron) Temple, Heather (Boyd) LaFoon; 1 grandchild, Frankie Mae Tschetter, Greg's children Michael, Drake, Avery and Emery, special friends, John and Linda Bunker and many aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and several cousins.
Diane was preceded in death by her mother Verla Gutzmer and father Norman Gutzmer, grandparents Otto and Margaret Gutzmer and Lawrence and Wilma Rothchild, infant sister Kim Gutzmer, sister-in-law Julie Gutzmer.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a contribution to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) in memory of our mom. Your contribution will help NAMI continue educating the public about mental illness, advocating for individuals and families affected by mental illness, and providing them classes and support groups free of charge.
Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown, Hayti, De Smet, Bryant, Arlington, Lake Preston, Oldham
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