FRANCIS DIEBOLD

BENTON -- Funeral Mass for Francis L. "Smokey" Diebold of Wichita, Kan., was held March 13, 2000, at St. Francis of Assisi in Wichita. The Rev. Thomas McGread officiated. Burial was in Resurrection Cemetery in Wichita.

DeVorss Flanagan-Hunt Mortuary in Wichita was in charge of arrangements.

Announcement courtesy of Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton.

Diebold, 72, died Thursday, March 9, 2000, at his home.

He was born Sept. 6, 1927, at Benton, son of Joseph and Coletta Essner Diebold. He and Patsy R. Hodgkiss were married Oct. 30, 1948, at Benton.

Diebold joined the Merchant Marines in 1944 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946. He then continued his education, was in the ROTC program and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers.

He became a training company commander at Ft. Leonard Wood and was released from duty in 1954. He stayed active in the Army Reserve and after 20 years of service retired in 1970 as lieutenant colonel.

Diebold had worked for Missouri Pacific Railroad, Kansas City Southern Railroad, Phillips Petroleum Co., Vickers Petroleum Co. and Derby Refining Co. He started Construction Consulting Company in 1991 and worked for Coastal Mart Inc.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Jim Diebold of Shawnee, Kan., John Diebold of Wellington; two sisters, Bernice "Sister Zita" Diebold of Benton, Gladys Schumacher of Rolla; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a daughter and two brothers.