Carol Barbara Diller, 97, died at 3:50 p.m. on June 13, 2012, at the Hilty Memorial Home, Pandora, surrounded by family. She was born on Dec. 24, 1914 in Riley Township to Christian and Arvilla Yoder Diller, who preceded her in death.
She was a 1932 graduate of Pandora High School, a 1941 graduate of Bluffton College, a 1944 graduate of Cleveland St. Luke School of Nursing and a 1951 recipient of a Masters in Nursing from Mennonite School of Nursing, Normal, Illinois.
Miss Diller served in Puerto Rico under the auspices of Mennonite Central Committee from 1944-1945.
She was a nursing school administrator at Mennonite School of Nursing, Illinois State University, Fairview Park Hospital, Cleveland, St. Luke School of Nursing, Cleveland, and School of Nursing, Kent State University. Following her retirement in 1978, she moved back to rural Bluffton, Ohio.
She was an active member of First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio.
She was also preceded in death by brothers, Nelson Diller and Kenneth Diller, double first cousins David Yoder and Freda Yoder Krabill who were members of the Diller household following the death of their mother in 1926.
She is also survived by sister in law, Verla Diller, nieces and nephews, Jon Diller, Jane Diller Thurman, Calvin Diller, and Kathleen Williams, the five children of David Yoder and Freda Yoder Krabill, Randall Yoder, Laura Burkhart, Connie Yoder, David Krabill and Jane Krabill, and step nieces, Delores Carpenter and Josephine Fetter.
Miss Diller authored five books on genealogy within the Swiss community of Pandora-Bluffton and one cookbook. She was also an avid world traveler.
Although she never married nor had children of her own, following the death of her parents in an auto accident in 1932 when she was 17 years of age, she was a surrogate mother to her teenage and younger brothers and cousins. A generation later following the death of sister in law Jeannette Diller and Freda Krabill, she was once again a surrogate mother to Cal, Kathy, David and Jane.
Her body was donated the Medical University of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio. A memorial service will take place 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012 at First Mennonite Church, Bluffton. Rev. Louise Wideman will officiate. Memorial contributions may be made to First Mennonite Church, Bridge Hospice or Hilty Memorial Home. Online condolences may be expressed at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
