Diane LeRose Wahl

Diane LeRose Wahl, 78, of Bemidji, MN died Sunday, October 19, 2025 at Neilson Place in Bemidji.
Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 am Monday, October 27, 2025 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. A private interment will be at the Faith Lutheran Cemetery in Mentor, MN the following day under the direction of the Cease Family Funeral Home in Bemidji.
Diane was born April 9, 1947, in Fosston, Minnesota, the daughter of Archie and Vivian (Benson) Hanson. She was raised and educated in Erskine, Minnesota, graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1965. She then attended college at Moorhead State College where she received her degree in education. Diane had a passion for helping kids succeed and dedicated her life to teaching throughout her 31-year career. She taught students in Tucson Arizona, Crookston Minnesota, Mentor Minnesota and eventually found her teaching "forever home" at Cass Lake-Bena Elementary School in Cass Lake Minnesota. Diane was an avid music lover and started her career as a Music teacher. After transitioning to the classroom, she spent many years teaching first graders, sharing her love of music with them in partnership with her trusty guitar "Betsy". Diane took on a new challenge towards the latter part of her career, getting trained in the Reading Recovery program where she helped the bottom % of readers get caught up and set on a path for success. After retirement, she would go on to work as a consultant and Literacy Coach for schools in conjunction with the University of Minnesota's Center for Reading Research. She loved her coworkers, students, and faculty like family and considered herself blessed to find a career that she truly loved. Countless lives were impacted positively through her work.
Diane married James Wahl on May 17th, 1975, in Crookston, Minnesota. Together they built a house on Little Bass Lake in Bemidji, Minnesota and made Bemidji their home for the last 47 years. Diane's favorite day of the year was the day the loons came back to the lake, and she could sit outside and listen to them by the lake. She had a green thumb and loved spending time in the yard planting and caring for her flowers, especially her begonias. Diane and Jim shared a passion for traveling and were fortunate enough to go on many adventures throughout the years. Together they saw Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Europe and all corners of the US. Diane shared her passion for travel with others, taking her Mom to see their homeland in Norway and taking her to Alaska to see the 50th state on Vivian's bucket list. Diane and Jim led multiple church trips to Branson, Missouri where they shared her love for shows and good food with others.
Jim and Diane had one daughter, Lindsey, married to son-in-law Tyler Evans. They were blessed to become grandparents to two wonderful grandsons, Cooper (5) and Brooks (2). Diane loved being "Grandma Dee Dee" and while she was able, would read stories and sing songs with them any chance she got. "You are My Sunshine" was Cooper and Grandma's favorite song to sing together and many a facetime call was wrapped up in song.
Diane was very active in the Bemidji Community and had a passion for helping others. She was an active member of Calvary Lutheran Church, a board member of the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Bemidji Chorale. She volunteered with the Food Shelf, Servants of Shelter, and the Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji.
She is survived by her devoted husband James, Daughter Lindsey (Tyler) Evans, Grandsons Cooper and Brooks Evans, Mother Vivian Hanson, Siblings Scott (Jaci) Hanson, Sherry (Lee) Hoaas, Debbie (Jim) Espeseth, and Darryn (Sheila) Hanson as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father Archie Hanson and Aunt LaVerne Benson.
Condolences may be left at ceasefuneralhome.com. The family has asked that any memorials given, be directed to the Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji, the Bemidji Food Shelf, or Calvary Lutheran Church as Diane would have wished.